Expert Legal Support for Former Harrods Employee Claiming for Historic Abuse

Sarah was told she would need to undergo a medical examination. She wasn’t fazed by this initially, as it was standard procedure in the armed forces to have an assessment of your hearing, eyesight, and blood pressure.

On arrival at the medical facility, she was welcomed by a female doctor. Sarah was told she was going to undergo STI tests, and they needed blood and urine samples from her.

At the time of the examination, Sarah had just finished treatment for an STI, which she had contracted from her long-term partner. When she disclosed this, the doctor’s demeanour changed. The doctor became cold and clinical, showing no warmth or offering any reassurance.

Sarah recalls that the assessment was rough, painful, and impersonal. She said she was made to feel like a sex worker, and the doctor was abrupt and forceful.

After the examination, she remembers sitting in the reception area trying not to cry. She felt degraded, devastated, and broken inside.

Shortly after the medical examination, Sarah was called into the office at Harrods to see Al Fayed. He told her that because of the medical results, she was “dirty” and not able to look after his children. Al Fayed also warned her she might not be able to have kids in the future.

Sarah was assigned to a new role and promised to be put on a Criminology course at university. Nothing came of this promise.

She was ultimately let go, with the company stating she was unsuitable for the role. To this day, she is unsure what her job was, and she believes her failed sexual health check led to plans for her to be changed. It was clear to her, therefore, that the sexual health check was sexually motivated. 

After watching the documentary, "Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods", Sarah’s memories of the incidents resurfaced. Seeing there were others who had gone through the same medical examination, she was inspired to come forward and share her story.

Tom Fletcher, the Head of Abuse Claims at Irwin Mitchell, supported Sarah with her claim. It was decided that Sarah would use the Harrods Redress scheme.

The scheme has helped people claim higher compensation amounts than they would likely have received in a civil case progressing outside of the scheme. 

We supported Sarah by going through each step of the scheme and making sure she had all the information she needed. Our team took a detailed witness statement and supported her through the non-medical route of the scheme. We advised her about the value of her claim, on any offers made, and whether any counteroffers should be made. 

Sarah’s claim is one of several we have represented and helped achieve higher compensation than was originally offered.