Harrods Reveals its Redress Scheme
On 31 March 2025, Harrods launched its Redress Scheme, allowing victims of sexual assault by former Harrods Chairman Mohamed Al Fayed to apply for compensation.
Background
Following revelations last year of widespread allegations from Harrods employees of sexual assault by Mohamed Al Fayed, the department store has now announced the details of its long-awaited Redress Scheme, allowing victims to seek compensation.
Harrods published the final Scheme on 31 March 2025, which remains open for one year. As things currently stand, the deadline to apply is 31 March 2026. Any potential victims must therefore apply before this deadline.
Details of the Scheme
Applicants must include their personal details, connection to Harrods, and information about the sexual assault in their application.
There is also an option to make a claim for “wrongful testing”; that is, anyone who underwent an invasive medical examination facilitated by Harrods can apply for additional compensation.
There is then a choice of two routes: the medical pathway and the non-medical pathway:
- The medical pathway is available to those who experienced psychological harm as a result of the sexual assault. As part of the pathway, the applicant is required to undergo an assessment by an independent psychiatrist selected by Harrods.
- The non-medical pathway is available to victims who have not suffered any psychological harm. They will generally receive a lower level of compensation.
In terms of general damages, successful applicants may receive anything up to £200,000.
In addition to that, they may also receive up to £25,000 in aggravated damages, which are damages relating to losses suffered as a consequence of disclosing the sexual assault. There is also an award of up to £10,000 for wrongful testing and up to £150,000 for any work related losses.
These are significant sums and are in line with damages a claimant could receive in a civil claim.
Interestingly, the Scheme is also open to non-employees. This gives it wider application than perhaps anticipated, although any applicant must demonstrate a “sufficiently close connection” to Harrods to be eligible. For example, someone who interviewed for a role at Harrods but was unsuccessful may be eligible under the Scheme.
Applying to the Scheme vs. bringing a claim
A victim now has two options to seek redress: apply to the Scheme or issue a civil claim in the courts.
There are benefits and drawbacks to both. Victims are encouraged to seek legal advice to help ascertain the more appropriate route for their specific situation.
A key benefit of the Scheme is that it circumvents limitation issues which may arise in a civil claim. The limitation period for personal injury claims is three years, and vicarious liability six years. Many of the victims of sexual assault by Mohamed Al Fayed were abused years or even decades ago, so limitation will be an important consideration. Notwithstanding that the court has discretion to extend these periods in certain circumstances, failing to overcome the limitation hurdle can prove a fatal barrier to succeeding in a civil claim.
In addition, issuing a claim can be a complex, lengthy process and there is risk that a victim may be required to undergo cross-examination should it proceed to a hearing or full trial, which, in light of the sensitive subject matter, could be a difficult and emotional experience.
On the other hand, there are some drawbacks to the Scheme. One is that certain victims will not being eligible. For example, employees of Fulham FC, some of whom have likewise made allegations against Mohamed Al Fayed, will not be eligible.
Further, the Scheme limits aggravated damages to any adverse consequences suffered from disclosing the sexual assault. This fails to appreciate the real-life impact of being sexually assaulted, the culture of fear that victims allege existed at Harrods under Mohamed Al Fayed, as well as the obvious imbalance of power, all of which could have easily dissuade a victim from revealing their experience at the time.
Legal Action Following the Scheme Announcement
Interestingly, the same day the Redress Scheme was published, a number of victims of sexual assault served pre-action letters on Harrods, demonstrating an intention to bring civil claims and perhaps indicating discontent with the Redress Scheme, at least in its current form.
How we can help Victims of Sexual Assault?
Although the Scheme is relatively streamlined, applicants are required to prove and evidence specific losses. We therefore recommend seeking legal assistance when making an application. Harrods have agreed to pay any reasonable legal costs connected with an application.
Taylor Hampton has extensive experience dealing with compensation schemes. This includes considering whether a scheme is an appropriate route to obtain compensation as well as providing knowledgeable and timely assistance when making applications.
On the other hand, if a civil claim is more appropriate, Taylor Hampton has the knowledge and expertise to guide clients through the courts, including on a no win no fee basis. In addition, the firm has many years of experience in group actions and has represented hundreds of individuals making claims against large companies and corporations.
For more information:
If you have been a victim of physical and/or sexual abuse, we can help you find the right path to compensation.
Please contact us here for a free consultation to see if we can assist you.