The owners of Harrods have agreed to increased maximum payments to survivors of Mohamed al Fayed’s sexual abuse to around £400,000 under a new redress scheme, according to Sky News.
Harrods
The Qatar-owned department store has revised the terms of a compensation scheme to be offered to hundreds of sexual abuse victims of the former owner.
The report says lawyers for Harrods have increased the maximum potential payout from around £330,000 following consultation with claimants’ legal representatives.
Sources said final proposals for the compensation scheme would be published Monday (31 March), although some victims may still face a lengthy wait to receive their payouts, the report added.
People close to the talks about the compensation scheme said the final proposals included general damages lump sums of up to £110,000 or £200,000 – with the higher figure available to claimants willing to submit to psychiatric assessments arranged by the company.
One source said the revised maximum compensation sum to be disclosed on Monday was now expected to be between £350,000 and £400,000.
A Harrods spokesperson reissued a statement previously given to Sky News, saying: “It would be premature for us to comment on the nature and details of a scheme that is currently under consultation.
“We are actively inviting the valuable input from Survivors and their legal representatives to establish the final scheme that aims to be survivor-first, trauma-informed, and fair in its approach to compensation.
“Further updates will be provided once the consultation period is complete.”
The redress scheme is being coordinated by MPL Legal, an Essex-based law firm.
