Woman says Al Fayed's brother drugged and sexually abused her at Highland estate

Image source, Shutterstock

Mohamed Al Fayed and brother Salah owned an estate in the Scottish Highlands

A woman has told BBC Scotland how she was trafficked to the Highlands, drugged, sexually assaulted and held prisoner by Salah Fayed, the brother of former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed.

Jill, whose name has been changed for legal reasons, said she was a young Harrods employee when she was recruited to what she believed was an executive training scheme in the 1990s.

Speaking for the first time about the abuse that took place in Scotland, Jill said she was flown on the Fayed family’s private jet to Balnagown, their estate in Easter Ross, where she was repeatedly assaulted.

She is one of hundreds of women who have alleged abuse by the Fayed brothers.

Mohamed Al Fayed owned Balnagown Estate in the Highlands

Since Mohamed Al Fayed’s death in 2023, hundreds of women and girls have alleged they were sexually abused by him.

His brother Salah, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2010, has also been accused of abuse by numerous women.

Police Scotland said three people had been identified in connection with offending against a number of victims at Balnagown and inquiries remained ongoing.

Speaking to BBC Scotland, Jill described Salah Fayed as “a very cruel man” who exploited her vulnerabilities and exercised near-total control over her life.

She said she began her career at Harrods working for Mohamed Al Fayed in a heavily-monitored office staffed largely by young women, where access was tightly controlled and employees were discouraged from interacting with others.

Soon afterwards, she was assigned to work for Salah Fayed.

“I thought it might be better,” she said. “Mohamed seemed creepy to me.”

Instead, she said, her situation deteriorated rapidly.

“I was taken to Scotland twice. Both times it was on their private jet.

“When you flew there, you flew into Inverness and their vehicles would pick you up from the airport and take you to the estate.”

Image source, Getty Images

Salah Fayed with his brother Mohamed Al Fayed bought Harrods in 1985

On the Balnagown Estate there were three residences, one for each brother.

Jill describes Salah Fayed’s house as smaller than Mohamed Al Fayed’s, overlooking the valley with the forest behind and isolated.

She alleged that by this stage Salah Fayed had begun giving her illegal substances.

“The first time he forced me to take the drugs he tried to trick me into taking them,” she said.

“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 said he controlled what she ate, wore and who she spoke to.

She said most of what happened was against her will.

“I was isolated, for most of the time,” she said. “He was a very cruel man.

“He knew I had some vulnerabilities and he exploited them. He made me feel I was a terrible person.”

Image source, PA Media

Mohamed Al Fayed has been accused by dozens of women

Jill said escaping the situation was difficult and that she only gradually came to understand the extent of what had happened to her.

“By the time I got away, I was very aware of what he was doing and it took some effort to get away,” she said.

“I was by then aware that I could not have been the only one.

“I tried to raise the alarm, I tried to warn people.”

Salah Fayed was one of three Fayed brothers who purchased Harrods, the luxury Knightsbridge department store, in 1985.

After his death, Mohamed Al Fayed was accused by more than 20 women of sexual assault in a BBC documentary Predator at Harrods that aired in 2024.

Since those allegations more than 400 alleged victims or witnesses have come forward to lawyers.

• If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support is available at BBC Action Line.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support is available at BBC Action Line.

Earlier this year, Police Scotland said it was carrying out further investigations into allegations connected to Balnagown Estate.

In a statement, a police spokesperson said: “Three people have been identified in connection with offending against a number of victims.

“Our inquiries are ongoing and it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

The Metropolitan Police is separately investigating allegations linked to Mohamed Al Fayed and those suspected of facilitating his offending.

It said it was one of the largest and most complex investigations it was currently undertaking.

“Seven suspects have so far been interviewed under caution on suspicion of offences including aiding and abetting rape and sexual assault, assisting the commission of sexual offences, and human trafficking for sexual exploitation,” a Met Police statement said.

“To date, 168 victims have now come forward. We will continue to assess victim testimonies for evidence of human trafficking.”

In a confidential note, shared with survivors, of a meeting between the Met and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Survivors of Fayed and Harrods, it said about 70 people had been referred to the Home Office as potential victims of trafficking.

Al Fayed’s brother Salah also abused us, women say

‘His hands were everywhere’ – women accuse surviving Fayed brother of sexual assault

Police Scotland investigating Al Fayed abuse claims

Jill told BBC Scotland she was aware of other women who alleged they were abused by Salah Fayed in Scotland, although some have never reported their experiences publicly.

She said she agreed with calls from some of the victims for a statutory public inquiry.

And she said she was speaking out because of worries the police investigations were not looking far enough.

Jill has contacted the Metropolitan Police and is also pursuing legal action.

Harrods, which is no longer owned by the Fayed family, said it recognised the “remarkable bravery” of survivors who had come forward and supported them in their pursuit of justice.

The retailer has previously established a redress scheme for survivors of abuse linked to Mohamed Al Fayed.

Jill said any compensation would be a partial refund for the impact on her life.

“You’ve lost years of your life,” she said.

“You’ve had all these treatment costs, it’s impacted your career, impacted your family, so yes they do need to put that right.”

“The girl I was when I was sent to that man is gone,” Jill said.

“I don’t know who she would have been or what her life would have been like.

“My life’s work has been recovering from this. It has been a bitter, bitter, decades-long struggle.”

The BBC has contacted the Balnagown Estate for comment twice and as yet they have not replied.

Related topics