Transcripts For BBCNEWS The Context 20240920

Hello, im christian fraser. Youre watching the context on bbc news. The bbc reveals the former harrods boss, the late Mohamed Al fayed, has been accused of rape by five female Ex Employees. The metropolitan police says its aware of the allegations. Five women say they were raped by the late owner of harrods, Mohamed Al fayed, when they for worked for him at the luxury department store. The bbc has now heard testimony from more than 20 female Ex Employees who say the billionaire sexually assaulted them as well as claims that harrods helped cover up those allegations of abuse. Mohamed Al Fayed owned harrods until 2010. He died last year at the age of 94. The stores current owners say they are utterly appalled by the accusations. They added it has a process available to women who say they were attacked by Mohamed Al fayed, saying it has been our priority to settle claims in the quickest way possible, avoiding lengthy legal proceedings for the women involved. This report on the documentary that aired this evening, contains descriptions of sexual violence. Our correspondent Helena Wilkinson reports. Yeah, i went back to harrods about a year ago, Ijoined Harrods because i wanted to be a buyer, and i ended up working for an absolute monster. When Mohamed Al fayed took over harrods, he quickly embraced his high Profile Role and the status that came with it. To his customers and the celebrity guests he was all charm, but to many of his female employees, he was a different man, a predator. Weve heard testimony from more than 20 of Al Fayeds female Ex Employees. He tried to rape me more than once. And he pushed me in and onto the bed so that i couldnt move. You know, he was 79, i nearly 80, and i was 15. Mohamed Al Fayed was rich and powerful. That power allowed him to carry out assault at scale over decades. I think Mohamed Al fayed is a rapist. I think hes a serial rapist. Gemma worked as Al Fayeds Personal Assistant for two years. Ijust didnt know which way to turn. So id bought a small dictaphone that i had in my pocket. And these are the transcripts from those recordings. One of them was in paris, in his residence there, villa windsor. I said, i just want to go to sleep on my own. Mr fayed, i dont want to. Mr fayed. And he kept saying, relax. Please, relax. How can you relax when youre in that situation . He walked out and he was angry. Not long after this incident, gemma says Al Fayed raped her. The bbc has heard testimony from four other women who say he raped them at his properties. In 2009, gemma contacted a lawyer who told harrods she was leaving herjob on the grounds of sexual harassment. She didnt feel able to disclose the more serious allegations at the time. They agreed to pay a settlement if she signed a non disclosure agreement. There was also one other condition. The lawyers organised for a Shredding Truck to come to my lawyers office. It was shredded in front of us, including tapes i had of him. Someone from hr was present for the shredding of all of the evidence i had. I thought id lost the transcripts, but actually what i did have was the transcriptions sent to my lawyer in my sent items of my email account. At the time. In a statement, the current owners of harrods said they were utterly appalled by the allegations and that employees who were his victims had been failed, for which they sincerely apologised. They also said that the harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed between 1985 and 2010. There were several attempts to expose Al Fayed before his death, but it is only now that many of the survivors feel able to speak publicly about the abuse. For those who have, the silence and the taboo are finally broken. One of the voices in that documentary, is columnist henry porter, who for 20 odd years was the London Editor of vanity fair, and has spent quite some time investigating fayed, and the allegations that were swirling around him. You are welcome to the programme. You published an article all the way back in the 90s that accused Al Fayed of harassing his female staff. What sort of response did you get from him . We what sort of response did you get from him . What sort of response did you aet from him . ~. ,. , , get from him . We got a response which seem get from him . We got a response which seem frightening get from him . We got a response which seem frightening at get from him . We got a response which seem frightening at the which seem frightening at the beginning but then turned out to be an advantage. He sued us on three counts, alleging he was a racist, that he spied on his staff and that he was a sexual abuser, his staff and that he was a sexualabuser, if his staff and that he was a sexual abuser, if i can put it that way. That meant that he opened up his life for us to investigate over two years and we did find an enormous amount to establish and to prove and support the original article. We put it together. Then, they came to us and wanted to settle. Before we got two terms of settle, his son was killed with Princess Diana in paris and our own and suggested it would be crying kinder and more civilised without further argument. This is in part in the bbc documentary. It was locked up in storage. That was 20 years ago in 1997. These allegations were current and available for anyone who wanted to investigate. Truth . Available for anyone who wanted to investigate. To investigate. Why do you think that to investigate. Why do you think that never to investigate. Why do you think that never turned to investigate. Why do you | think that never turned into to investigate. Why do you i think that never turned into a Police Investigation . 1 think that never turned into a Police Investigation . Police investigation . I have been reading Police Investigation . I have been reading all Police Investigation . I have been reading all the Police Investigation . I have been reading all the files i been reading all the Files Tonight in preparation for writing for the observer on sunday. I have about five big files from the case and there is No Doubt that the police and Al Fayed were closely related. He had a number of people working for him from the metropolitan police and there is No Doubt that there was an Open Channel and they did each other favours. Open channel and they did each otherfavours. It Open Channel and they did each other favours. It was friend the reasons that Al Fayed managed to survive without Police Investigation. You told the investigation Police Investigation. You told the Investigation Team Police Investigation. You told the Investigation Team about| Police Investigation. You told i the Investigation Team about an approach from his security guard. What did you tell the team about that encounter . I think it will reveal to people who he had in his pay and how much control he had. Who he had in his pay and how much control he had. There was a very broad much control he had. There was a very broad activity much control he had. There was a very broad activity against a very broad activity against us. My house was swept the whole time for bugs. We were followed, threatened on the phone, this one thing in 1997 came to our notice that a man who said he had left Al Fayeds employee was coming with a Video Tape of his boss having sex in his office. They wanted to negotiate. I went to a gym and met with this man who seemed unbelievable. He offered me this tape. I said, if i buy this tape for the £5,000 you are suggesting, it will be buying and receiving stolen property so i not interested. But nonetheless they tried to pretend and reported us to the cps and there was a kind of investigation but it was ridiculous because they had tapes of me saying i wouldnt dream of buying it. But those were the sort of tricks. You can imagine a young woman in their sites and a Police Officer and a another private detective implying things, it could be very frightening for a young woman. The pressure then meant they shut up and didnt talk. It meant they shut up and didnt talk. , meant they shut up and didnt talk. , ,. , meant they shut up and didnt talk. ,. ,. , talk. It has become clear that at least one talk. It has become clear that at least one woman talk. It has become clear that at least one woman who at least one woman who complained she had been sexually harassed had in fact been raped. The bbc is now being approached today by more and more women. There is a Press Conference Tomorrow with some of these women. Does it feel like we are just scratching the surface . It feel like we are just scratching the surface . It did when i was scratching the surface . It did when i was investigating scratching the surface . It did when i was investigating all | when i was investigating all those years ago, i knew there were huge numbers. I was surprised we managed to get so many people on the record in affidavits. I was really surprised. We worked hard, but there was No Doubt. We came across names, i can think of three that arent in the documentary for one reason or another, not by the bbc� s was my fault, there are three other people. My impression was that you had to surf in the world that we were in, the glossy Magazine World to hear people, anecdotes of it that is how i got two of our witnesses to talk to me, by hearing of them. That is a key point. The evidence was available if you went to look for it. You didnt really have to look for it, it was out there because he was such a serial offender. Goodness me. Good to talk to you. Here we are again, someone protected by Power And Wealth, seemingly an open secret, no Police Investigation, victims underserved. It Police Investigation, victims underserved. Underserved. It is so depressing underserved. It is so depressing and underserved. It is so depressing and that l underserved. It is so i depressing and that he underserved. It is so depressing and that he it has come out after he has died and he has escaped. He has lived a life of power and privilege. It was struck by tragedy when his son died in paris, but fundamentally, these crimes he should have been held accountable for. As political journalists i new rumours in westminster of things people got up to and things come out in the press and often there are things that people know about but News Organisations are not able to report on it the way they would like to because of legal reasons or concerns or it could be expense if the other person decides to sue. It is demoralising that so often in the uk, across the world, if you are rich and powerful you can do these heinous crimes and get away with it. My heart goes out to these women who obviously feel they are able to speak out now now he is dead and he doesnt pose a risk illegally or financially now. It fills in just that he is going to have gone to the grave without facing the consequences for what he seems to have done. We have seen what he seems to have done. We have seen again this week with hugh edwards, people feel angry and bitter that he has not gone to jailfor the and bitter that he has not gone to jail for the crimes he was convicted of. The bbc has history with jimmy savile, who again was a celebrity, part of the establishment, mixed in royal circles. It was an open secret what he was like. How do we do better with this . Its secret what he was like. How do we do better with this . We do better with this . Its a very tough we do better with this . Its a very tough question we do better with this . Its a very tough question because| very tough question because when very tough question because when Power And Wealth and influence come into play, a lot of these influence come into play, a lot of these stories are shutdown pretty of these stories are shutdown pretty quickly. As a journalist in the pretty quickly. As a journalist in the us pretty quickly. As a journalist in the us as well that happens a lot in the us as well that happens a lot we in the us as well that happens a lot. We need to do everything we can a lot. We need to do everything we canto a lot. We need to do everything we can to make sure the stories i heard we can to make sure the stories i heard and we can to make sure the stories i heard and we need to use our voices i heard and we need to use our voices as i heard and we need to use our Voices Asjournalist i heard and we need to use our voices as Journalist Make Voices Asjournalist make sure they Voices Asjournalist make sure they get Voices Asjournalist make sure they get out there. We cant be scared they get out there. We cant be scared of they get out there. We cant be scared of power and influence. Lawyers scared of power and influence. Lawyers can throw around vast sums lawyers can throw around vast sums of lawyers can throw around vast sums of money and threaten lawsuits, sums of money and threaten lawsuits, but at the end of the day they lawsuits, but at the end of the day they are we need to we need day they are we need to we need to day they are we need to we need to get day they are we need to we need to get these stories out there need to get these stories out there and make sure the victims can share there and make sure the victims can share the stories. And around can share the stories. And around a can share the stories. And around a corporate structure, which around a corporate structure, which is around a corporate structure, which is what it comes down to a lot which is what it comes down to a lot of which is what it comes down to a lot of the which is what it comes down to a lot of the time. A company or a lot of the time. A company or a news a lot of the time. A company or a News Network or a store like harrods, a News Network or a store like harrods, which is imparting its influence harrods, which is imparting its influence to make sure stories dont influence to make sure stories dont come out. Police or the charities dont come out. Police or the charities have to make sure victims charities have to make sure victims can seek Solace And Share victims can seek Solace And Share their stories without being share their stories without being scared of these influential figures. We being scared of these influential figures. Influentialfigures. We have two other influentialfigures. We have two other stories influentialfigures. We have two other stories in influentialfigures. We have two other stories in the influential figures. We have i two other stories in the Public Domain right now about this appalling kind of abuse, mohammed Al Fayed who raped female employees and then in france this man who dragged his wife so that dozens of men could have sex with her. Men he met through our website and there were half A Million people men he met through a website. Both these cases demonstrate plainly that you dont have to be a psychopath to do this. You can be in plain sight. Thats what I Cant understand. It sight. Thats what I Cant understand. Sight. Thats what I Cant understand. ,. , understand. It is a Men Problem as well. Understand. It is a Men Problem as well if understand. It is a Men Problem as well. If you understand. It is a Men Problem as well. If you look understand. It is a Men Problem as well. If you look at understand. It is a Men Problem as well. If you look at the as well. If you look at the statistics of violence against women at the hands of men it is disturbing. Every year, jess phillips, would raid the number of women that had been murdered at the hands of men in the uk each year and the list seems to get longer every year. If you look at the Conviction Rates for rape and sexual assault, it is dire in the uk. There is an epidemic of male violence against women and girls. It often feels when there is an attempt to have a discussion about it, when labour were talking about making extreme misogyny. Which can often go into violence, making that hate crime. There was criticism about whether that was going too far. If you look at the statistics on the way women have been treated and are treated by men, there is a serious problem. As a woman, there is nothing more we can do as women. This has to come from men. � , ,. , as women. This has to come from men. 2 , men. Its interesting you say that because men. Its interesting you say that because i men. Its interesting you say that because i have men. Its interesting you say that because i have been men. Its interesting you say. That because i have been a bit squeamish with my own family that my daughter gets reproductive rights education, reproductive rights education, reproductive Health Education and my son gets information on toxic masculinity and i worry in one instance about telling boys that there is something wrong with them, that it is in there. At the same time, we have to change attitudes. We are changing attitudes in the workplace so that i hope it is called out more, but we have to change attitudes of the way young men think about women. Yes it starts at a young age. It yes it starts at a young age. It is yes it starts at a young age. It is interesting though dynamic in the us classrooms at the moment because certain republicans want to bring in certain republicans want to bring in certain legislation that stops conversations about these areas conversations about these areas it conversations about these areas. It covers a range of things. Areas. It covers a range of things. Talking about wrecked productive health, birth control, abortion is a huge issue control, abortion is a huge issue coming into the election and across the country for years and across the country for years to and across the country for years to come. There is a battle years to come. There is a battle going on in the classroom that may end up in Children Classroom that may end up in children not really learning fully children not really learning fully about some of these consequences. That is where you have consequences. That is where you have to consequences. That is where you have to start Formulating Mines have to start Formulating Mines. When politics gets involved there. It creates a lot more involved there. It creates a lot more issues and that needs to he lot more issues and that needs to be fixed over here as well. If to be fixed over here as well. If you to be fixed over here as well. If you want to watch the documentary you can follow it on the bbc. To the new season of world of secrets, from the bbc world service, on bbc sounds, as well as on the bbc iplayer. And if youve been affected by any of the issues in our report, you can find advice on the Bbc Action Line on our website. An update to bring you on our top story british foreign Secretary David Lammy has called for an immediate ceasefire between israel and lebanons hezbollah after a week of escalation that has brought the two sides to the brink of war. After meeting his french, us and italian counterparts in paris, he said we are all very, very clear that we want to see a negotiated political settlement so that israelis can return to their homes in Northern Israel and indeed lebanese to return to their homes. Now its time for the panel. Since we are in boxes, we do so many zooms every day, youre going to pick up on some new sights on why were all exhausted. I sights on why were all exhausted. Exhausted. I didnt deliberately exhausted. I didnt deliberately pick i exhausted. I didnt i deliberately pick this exhausted. I didnt deliberately pick this grey background. According to science, background. According to science, this is a background, or the science, this is a background, or the colour is one that will make or the colour is one that will make you or the colour is one that will make you the least tired if you are on make you the least tired if you are on zoom calls every day. The are on zoom calls every day. The research that came out says that it the research that came out says that if you the research that came out says that if you have an animated or blurred that if you have an animated or blurred background on a Zoom Goat blurred background on a Zoom Goat you blurred background on a Zoom Goal you are more likely to feel goal you are more likely to feel lethargic because your mind feel lethargic because your mind is feel lethargic because your mind is more engaged with what is going mind is more engaged with what is going on in the background and it is going on in the background and it is is going on in the background and it is likely to make it more and it is likely to make it more grained make you more drained more grained make you more drained. Howeverzoom meetings have been drained. Howeverzoom meetings have been going on for far too long have been going on for far too long we have been going on for far too long we have seen many upsets and glitches with them, for instance, i always remember a texas instance, i always remember a texasjudge who instance, i always remember a Texas Judge who accidentally turned Texas Judge who accidentally turned into a cat a few years ago turned into a cat a few years ago during covert. One way to et ago during covert. One way to get around being less lethargic is to get around being less lethargic is to meet people in person. I know is to meet people in person. I know its is to meet people in person. I know its not always possible. Ifeel know its not always possible. I feel soothed and engaged well. No dean, you are going to pick the Archaeologist who was beaten to it by another Archaeologist. Beaten to it by another archaeoloaist. ,. ,. , Archaeologist. This is another amazinu Archaeologist. This is another amazing story Archaeologist. This is another amazing story where Archaeologist. This is another amazing story where a Archaeologist. This is anotherj amazing story where a french team of Archaeologists found a note written 200 years ago by an Archaeologist and it reads, it says, carried out excavations here injanuary 1885. Apologies for my french viewers in terms of my pronunciation. Viewers in terms of my pronunciation. From one Archaeologist pronunciation. From one Archaeologist to pronunciation. From one Archaeologist to the pronunciation. From one i Archaeologist to the other, pronunciation. From one Archaeologist to the other, get in line, i have already been here. I in line, i have already been here. , ,. , in line, i have already been here. ,. ,. , here. I did Classics At University here. I did Classics At University and here. I did Classics At University and i here. I did Classics At University and i love | university and i love archaeology. University and i love archaeology. University and i love archaeolou. ,. ,. ,. , archaeology. You love that one. We are out archaeology. You love that one. We are out of archaeology. You love that one. We are out of time. Archaeology. You love that one. We are out of time. Good archaeology. You love that one. We are out of time. Good to we are out of time. Good to have your company. Thanks for your thoughts. We will be back same time tomorrow. Welcome to the bbc sport centre. Arsenal have kicked off their Champions League Campaign in italy against atalanta. There are just a few minutes left. Its been a frustrating evening for the gunners but they can thank their Keeper David Raya for keeping them in the game, pulling off a remarkable double save from mateo retegui, after Thomas Partey gave away the Penalty Fouling ederson. 0 0 at the moment. The new womens super League Season starts tomorrow with defending Champions Chelsea hosting Aston Villa live on the bbc. Both clubs start their campaign under new management, but for Chelseas Sonia Bompastor the stakes are high with the blues aiming for a sixth successive title after the depature of former Head Coach emma hayes. When you are chelsea, you just want to win every single title. You want to compete in every competition and we know, like, all the teams will be ready. It will be tough, but we feel ready. Their players are really competitive. I think i am also really competitive. We like to be in that position, to be able to compete. Travis head scored a superb unbeaten 154 as australia saw off england by seven wickets in the first One Day International at trent bridge. England looked in good shape with Ben Duckett striking 11 boundaries on his way to a hefty 95. But the hosts lost their last 8 wicketsforjust102 runs as the australian spinners bowled england out for 315. In reply, australia lost Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith early, but the in form Travis Head stayed put, with a magnificent 154 to put the aussies in control. Marnus labuschagne hit the winning runs with 6 overs to spare as the tourists went one up in the five match series. Theyll meet again at headingley on saturday. Rory mcilroy got off to a good start at the Pga Championship at wentworth, despite a bizzare moment in his opening round. The World Number three was hitting his approach into 12th Hole when his clubhead flew off after impact. Mcilroy still managed to card a birdie, eventually finishing his round in a tie for fourth at five under par. Englands Matthew Baldwin leads the way at seven under thanks to shots like this at the par four16th, helping him card a blemish free 65. In super league, wigan retained their League Leaders Shield with a 61r 0 Win at home to salford. Red devils Head Coach Paul Rowley made 1a changes to his squad having already secured a Play Off Spot last week, a decision which went unpunished by the rfl, and was taken full advantage of by a rampant Warriors Side who registered 11 tries witout reply. In tonights other game, huddersfield Beat Castleford 54 10, with neither team able to make the playoffs. The new mens rugby Union Premiership Season gets underway tomorrow, with a repeat of last seasons final between bath and champions northampton, while saracens get underway against gloucester on saturday with new Skipper Mauro Itoje looking to take inspiration from those whove captained him in the past. I have been very fortunate to play under great captains like owen, brad, alistair hargreaves, steve, very briefly. And yes, they have all been great. They have all been tremendous leaders. I guess, from my point of view, ijust want to be my authentic self. I want to be my authentic self. I want to be my authentic self. I want to lead with energy, lead with excitement. Lead by my behaviour and my actions. Since i have come back to the club, i have seen a whole new generation of young, exciting players coming through and i think this season, as people watch us play they will get to know us and some of these players who are ripping up trees in Training And Training the house down. I think part of my role is to help them, to help them be what i think they could be. Ithink help them be what i think they could be. I think a lot of them are going to be great players. I want, part of my role as captain, but as well as just being a senior player, is to ease that transition, make that transition as seamless as possible for a lot of those guys, in the same way, the senior players when i was 20 21 helped me. And thats all the sport for now. Good evening. It has been another day when things have felt more like summer than september. Most places got to see at least some sunshine. And along the south coast today, temperatures got pretty close to 25 degrees. Close to 25 degrees. But in the southern areas, but in the southern areas, things are set to change things are set to change as this area of low pressure as this area of low pressure pushes northwards over pushes northwards over the next few days. The next few days. That will bring some showers, that will bring some showers, some thunderstorms, and see how across northern england, some thunderstorms, and see how the rain is set to accumulate the rain is set to accumulate in some locations. In some locations. It is possible that some places it is possible that some places in the south could get close in the south could get close to a Months Worth of rain, to a Months Worth of rain, but notice, further north, but notice, further north, not much rain at all. Not much rain at all. It is going to stay largely dry it is going to stay largely dry across northern england, Northern Ireland and scotland. Warm sunshine up towards the north west, often quite cloudy and cool close to these North Sea coasts, and with the chance for those showers and thunderstorms down towards the south. Now, in the shorter term tonight, we are going to see a lot of Cloud Filtering in across many parts of the uk, and even where we keep hold of some clear skies say, across parts of Northern Ireland we could see a few fog patches. A little bit on the chilly side across northwest scotland, down into Northern Ireland. Further south and east, though, with the cloud and the breeze, a mild start to friday morning, a lot of cloud around first eastern scotland, staying quite murky here through saturday. Sunshine for Western Scotland and Northern Ireland, but further south across england and wales, i think well see more of these heavy downpours and thunderstorms perhaps the worst of those from the midlands, westwards into wales and the south west of england. Temperatures north to south around 16 to 22 degrees into sunday. It looks like well see the showers joining into longer spells of rain. Again, though, confined to southern parts of england, the midlands, wales. Further north, largely dry. Best of the sunshine to the north west. Quite murky for some of these eastern coasts. And then, as we head on into next week it does look very unsettled. Low pressure is set to be in charge. Well see some rain at times. It could potentially be quite windy and it is also set to turn quite a lot colder. Tonight at ten israel carries out dozens of strikes on Southern Lebanon as Hezbollahs Leader warns that red lines have been crossed. The Israeli Military says they hit 30 Targets Today some of the most intense bombing since the October 7th attacks we report from lebanon and israel. Hassan lebanon and israel. Nasrallah said their control and Hassan Nasrallah said their Control And Command centres remain intact and Command Centres remain intact and there will be retaliation. Here the israeli government says it will do what it takes to end more than a year of chronic instability on its northern border. Also tonight. The bbc has been contacted by more women who say they were assaulted by the former boss of harrods Mohamed Al fayed when they worked for him. Im completely in control and focused. The Prime Minister faces questions on tensions in government,