A woman targeted while working at Harrods in the 1990s has told BBC Scotland that Salah Fayed trafficked her to the Scottish Highlands, drugged her, and sexually assaulted her.
Harrods Transfer to Balnagown Estate
Referred to as Jill for legal reasons, the survivor initially worked in an office staffed largely by young women under Mohamed Al Fayed, The Independent reported. Expecting an executive training scheme, she agreed to transfer to work for Salah Fayed because Mohamed seemed creepy to me,
as The Scotsman detailed. The Fayed brothers, including Salah, had purchased the luxury Knightsbridge department store in 1985.
Instead of a standard role, she stated she was taken to Scotland twice, both times aboard their private jet. Flights landed at Inverness before family vehicles collected passengers from the airport and transported them to the estate.
Balnagown featured three separate residences, with Salah Fayed occupying a smaller house that sat isolated and overlooked a valley with a forest behind it. Salah Fayed died in 2010, while Mohamed Al Fayed passed away in 2023 at the age of 94 without facing any criminal charges, The National Scot reported.
Jill Describes Being Held Prisoner and Forced to Take Drugs
During her time at the Highland estate, Jill said she was held prisoner, isolated, and subjected to controlling behavior regarding what she wore, ate, and whom she spoke to, The Independent reported. She described Salah Fayed as a very cruel man,
The Scotsman added, noting that he exploited her vulnerabilities while she was trapped at the property.
The first time he forced me to take the drugs he tried to trick me into taking them. He had me locked in a room. He said ‘you need to take this, it’s good for you’. He lied about what it was and when I refused he screamed at me and forced me to take it. The drugs were part of his method of assaulting me.
Jill
Reflecting on her ordeal, she explained that by the time she managed to get away, she understood the gravity of his actions and realized she could not have been the only person targeted. She recounted making an effort to escape and attempting to warn others about what was happening.
MP Calls for Justice as Misconduct Complaints Exceed 400
Wendy Chamberlain, MP for North East Fife and co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on survivors of Al Fayed, said she was not surprised by the latest revelations and called for criminal justice outcomes and action against the network of enablers.
Across all allegations linked to him and other perpetrators dating from 1977 to 2014, more than 400 complaints of sexual misconduct have been recorded, including sexual assault, rape, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking. The Met Police noted that seven suspects have been interviewed under caution on suspicion of offenses including aiding and abetting rape and sexual assault, assisting the commission of sexual offences, and human trafficking for sexual exploitation, The Scotsman reported.