British mannequin Bianca Gascoigne has mentioned she was groomed and sexually assaulted by Mohamed al Fayed when she labored at Harrods as a young person.
Warning: This text accommodates particulars readers could discover distressing.
The 37-year-old, who’s the daughter of England soccer legend Paul Gascoigne, had visited the posh division retailer in Knightsbridge together with her mother and father when she was rising up and mentioned Al Fayed can be “charming” and convey them presents.
Talking publicly about it for the primary time on The UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee, she mentioned this meant by the point she joined Harrods aged 16 she felt “safe” in his presence.
Nonetheless, when she began working for the Egyptian businessman she claimed he would grope her and power her to kiss him throughout their weekly conferences.
She mentioned she felt trapped and frightened and one evening he provided her the Harrods Park Lane house to remain in earlier than a flight.
In an emotional interview, Gascoigne mentioned: “[Al Fayed] turned up at the apartment to my shock, I was just gobsmacked, I was kind of very shell-shocked.
“I just didn’t really know what to do, he came in and then he sat me down on the sofa… he got his privates out and got my hands and was trying to manoeuvre them on his parts.
“When that did not work he was making an attempt to power my head on to his lap.
“And I don’t know how but I managed to wiggle away.
“And I feel probably you already know, that him realizing my mother and father… I do not know, that may have saved me at that second. But it surely was horrific.”
A string of allegations towards Al Fayed have emerged for the reason that launch of an investigation by the BBC. He died final 12 months aged 94.
Former Fulham proprietor Mohamed al Fayed
The Metropolitan Police mentioned it had recorded 60 allegations towards Al Fayed for the reason that BBC documentary, together with claims of rape and sexual assault. These are along with the 21 girls who went to the police between 2005 and 2023 with intercourse crime allegations towards the businessman.
On Monday Harrods mentioned greater than 250 persons are a part of its course of to settle compensation claims over Al Fayed’s alleged sexual misconduct.
Bianca Gascoigne
‘I did not wish to carry embarrassment and disgrace’
Gascoigne had joined Harrods as a store ground employee however was later promoted to her “dream” job of turning into a style purchaser.
However she mentioned nobody in her life knew what was happening – not even her mum and pop. She mentioned the disgrace stopped her from telling anybody.
“Obviously, I loved my job because it’s exactly what I wanted to do – that was my dream,” she mentioned.
“And, you know, he’s doing all these things to me. And I was close to people that he knew, and I felt like I couldn’t even tell them either, because I didn’t want to bring embarrassment and shame.”
Gascoigne nervous about dropping her job if she spoke out
She mentioned whereas the alleged abuse was being carried out she was “trying to work out what was going on” and was nervous about dropping her job.
“[Al Fayed] told me that if I would say anything that I would lose my job,” she mentioned. “So I just got really scared, at 16 turning 17, you think you know what’s going on at the time but you really don’t.
“I look again now and simply really feel very sorry for my 16-year-old self and want I may defend her.”
England footballer Paul Gascoigne, father of Bianca
‘He used to inform me [my father] was a humiliation’
Gascoigne additionally mentioned Al Fayed would make derogatory feedback about her father, whose psychological well being and dependancy issues are nicely documented, when he allegedly began grooming her shortly earlier than she joined Harrods.
She continued: “[Al Fayed] used to tell me how much of a bad father my dad was because he used to come into the store drunk, and he used to tell me [my father] was an embarrassment.”
She mentioned Al Fayed informed her she ought to see himself as a “father figure” as an alternative and she or he felt a “false sense of security with him early doors”.
‘I really feel like I’ve to do that’
Gascoigne not too long ago had a daughter and determined she needed to talk out after seeing different alleged victims of Al Fayed come ahead.
She mentioned: “I feel like I have to do this, like I want to do this.
“I wish to stand for the ladies and, you already know, hopefully make any type of change in order that sooner or later my daughter will not need to undergo one thing like this… and these predators will not have the ability to get away with what they’re getting away with.”
Asked about the allegations by Sky News, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “I feel it is only a horrifying set of allegations and stunning that so many ladies, who have been there at totally different levels of their lives are coming ahead with these experiences of actually extreme abuse by the hands of their employer.
“I think there are questions for all of the institutions that Mohammed Al Fayed was either in charge of or involved with, about what they did, what they knew, and how they responded.
“I feel apologies now are clearly very welcome, however I feel there are some inquiries to reply about what’s gone on previously.”
Sky News has contacted Harrods for comment.
The department store has previously said it is “completely appalled” by similar allegations and said it is a “very totally different organisation to the one owned and managed by al Fayed between 1985 and 2010.”
Watch Bianca Gascoigne’s full interview on The UK Tonight With Sarah-Jane Mee from 8pm on Sky Information
