KP Law client’s welcome alternative processes that address the long-criticised shortcomings of the existing Harrods Redress Scheme.
KP Law, one of the leading litigation practices in the UK, which is representing over 260 clients in their fight against Harrods and the systematic abuse they suffered at the hands of Mohamed Al Fayed, has today announced that it has negotiated agreements with both the estate of the late Al Fayed (‘the Estate’) and Harrods.
The new settlement mechanisms offer a more trauma-informed, survivor-centred and protective alternative that directly addresses the concerns widely raised about the existing scheme.
These mechanisms put KP Law clients, not Harrods, or indeed the Estate, in control, and, for the first time, give survivors a meaningful choice in how they pursue the justice they deserve. In doing so, they address many of the criticisms levelled against the current scheme, including Harrods’ management team maintaining control and offer structured, safeguarded and individually tailored pathways to redress in respect of one of the most significant instances of widespread abuse in modern times.
Lead partner Kingsley Hayes stated:
“We have been highly critical of the approach taken by Harrods to date and the current redress scheme that is available for our clients, not least as they (Harrods) retained complete control of the scheme, managed by senior management, many of whom were part of the senior management team present during the years of abuse.
In addition, the current Harrods scheme not only caps the damages without knowing or recognising the extent of the abuse, both physically and mentally, that each of our clients suffered, but also insists on medical examinations being undertaken by practitioners that Harrods select, the exact same process that they made our clients endure as part of their abuse.
We have sought to discuss with and recommend to Harrods a number of different ways of dealing with these most complicated and traumatic claims whilst always staying true to the belief that all clients must follow their own evidence pathways to justice and compensation”. Hayes continued “The new agreements reached, after months of negotiation, address these concerns and put our clients’ rights first. Both mechanisms provide a clear and structured timetable for bringing our clients’ claims to a successful conclusion and will help them finally reach a form of closure”.
The new mechanisms introduce crucial improvements and safeguards that survivors say were missing from the original process. These include
1. Individualised Assessments
Survivors’ personal experiences and losses are assessed fully and individually, unlike
Harrods’ points-based, one-size fits all standardised approach.
2. Fairer Global Settlement Approach
KP Law will prepare comprehensive evidence packs and then put forward a
combined global offer covering all damages and legal costs. This prevents
undervaluation and aims for awards that reflect the true nature of the abuse suffered.
3. Enhanced Confidentiality and Survivor Protection
A detailed confidentiality framework ensures that KP Law retains strict control over
who may view sensitive documents. This is an important safeguard as it ensures
personal information cannot be shared beyond approved individuals without prior
consent.
4. Reduced Trauma, anxiety and stress in Medical Evidence Process
- Under the Harrods mechanism, further psychiatric examinations only occur where justified and agreed.
- Under the Estate mechanism, further assessments will only be sought if a compelling reason exists.
Both approaches significantly reduce re-traumatisation risk and speed up the settlement process.
5. A Route to Resolution Without Court Proceedings
The mechanisms allow progress to a fair settlement without the need to issue court proceedings, saving time, reducing legal costs and, importantly for clients, removing the stress of a trial.
Clients have welcomed this positive development. Their previous experiences with Harrods’ controlled redress processes mean scepticism remains, but many now feel that these new mechanisms finally offer a safe, transparent and survivor-first pathway to justice.
Jennie Armstrong
Jennie Armstong worked as a PA for Al Fayed at 60 Park Lane between September 1977 and May 1978 and is one of the earliest survivors of the systematic abuser.
Over 40 years on, whilst Jennie has built her life in Cyprus, she remains angry, not just at what Al Fayed did, but at the fact that he was able to surround himself with people that did his bidding and enabled him to carry out his attacks. Right from the beginning, Jennie feels that she was singled out, and from her first interview, a well organised and horrific process was put in place with one single aim. Jennie, along with hundreds of others, has constantly called for these ‘enablers’ to be held to account.
Jennie is also angry at what she feels is a lack of both the Estate and Harrods taking responsibility for what happened and has welcomed the news of the new KP Law mechanisms that she believes will help to finally bring her the justice she is entitled to.
Jennie stated
“Right from the beginning, from my first interview, I was singled out and unbeknown to me, pushed into a well organised process managed by carefully selected individuals that took control. The current scheme, under the control of Harrods, and managed by senior Harrods management, continues in the same way.
I am therefore very pleased that the new KP Law mechanisms remove control from Harrods and offer a tailored pathway to get the justice I have been seeking for years. Finally, it appears, after over 40 years, both the Estate and Harrods are beginning to listen and take accountability for what happened”.
Caroline Lazell (nee Hankey)
Caroline worked at Harrods for 4 years, between 1994 and 1998. Originally working on the shop floor in Women’s Fashion, she subsequently moved ‘upstairs’, becoming an in-house illustrator within the Design Team of Harrods.
Having suppressed what happened to her for almost 30 years and having rebuilt her life, Caroline now has a daughter approaching an age when she will be striking out to build a career of her own, and wants to do everything in her power to protect her daughter and that businesses and society do everything possible to ensure nothing similar is allowed to happen to her and millions of others.
Caroline has welcomed the new KP Law mechanisms, seeing them as a very positive way forward to finally get justice and a form of closure. She is specifically relieved to see the clause on medical examinations as one of her most painful memories of her time was listening to Al Fayed read out to her what she understood to be her private medical examination results.
Caroline commented
“Even after 30 years, I can still feel the shock, anger and betrayal that what I believed to be private medical results were passed to Al Fayed, who then seemed to take pleasure in reading them out to me.
The current scheme, which allows Harrods to obtain its own psychiatric medical reports from its own experts, brings this all flooding back, and was one of the many reasons why I immediately rejected the scheme controlled by them.
I am therefore very pleased that the new Estate mechanism means that it is unlikely that I will not have to undertake further medical examinations … which for me, removes some of my anxiety and stress and I can begin to look forward to closure”.
Amy McIlquham
Amy, a Canadian who has been living in Sicily for the last 6 years, has been a leading voice in speaking out about her experiences at Harrods and the systematic abuse at the hands of Al Fayed. She has constantly championed for change in Society in general and specifically in calling for greater protection within the workplace.
Originally hired to work on the Harrods shopfloor in the Spring of 1993, after 2 months she was ‘spotted’ on one of Al Fayed infamous department walkthroughs and immediately transferred to work at 60 Park Lane as a Personal Assistant. She worked there for nearly 3 years before finally escaping and leaving the country to settle in Italy.
While Amy believes the ‘Me Too’ movement has helped to raise awareness within the public domain, she strongly believes more is needed to be done to ensure that everyone can work in a safe and secure environment, free from risk.
She has been very vocal in her criticism of the current Harrods scheme and is a strong advocate of the KP Law mechanisms, not least as they include a detailed confidentiality agreement meaning that no confidential information can be shared beyond approved individuals within both Harrods and the Estate.
Amy commented
“Knowing that some of the senior management who were present during the years of abuse, and who are still at Harrods in similar roles, could have got access to my personal information was repulsive and is yet another example of how change is still needed.
The new mechanisms, with the confidential clauses, means that KP Law, and therefore myself, retain strict control on who can view my personal and sensitive documents … and in doing so helps to remove anxiety and stress and protects mine and other survivors’
wellbeing. In short for the first time, it feels that we are now able to take meaningful steps forward”.
(Survivor S)
Survivor S was a Flight Attendant and worked for Al Fayed for only 4 months, (April 2009 until July the same year). She was 28 when the abuse took place. Having remained silent for many years, and although wishing to remain anonymous, she now feels strongly that her voice should be heard.
Survivor S states:
“A big part of my motivation to speak out now is the fact I didn’t do it all those years ago. I was simply unable to do so, not knowing who to speak to, and even if I did that I wouldn’t be believed. Today, having lived through this, I believe that no one else should go through what I and hundreds did, and feel very strongly that someone’s power and status should not allow them to behave as they want. Ultimate wealth should not mean ultimate power and society needs to ensure that the right checks and balances are in place to protect everyone”.
Survivor S continued
“The very organisations that should have protected people, like the MET and the GMC didn’t and it is important that lessons are learnt and this is never allowed to happen again. People should know that if they speak out, they will be believed and that private medical records should remain just that, private”.
While all the clauses negotiated by KP Law mean that for the first time I believe survivors have a fair and safe process in place, the fact that my own medical records will remain private is extremely pleasing and is one of the main reasons why I am so supportive of the new mechanisms”.
Natacha Russell
Natacha worked directly for Al Fayed, The Chairman as one of his personal assistants between 1990-1991. Working between Park Lane and Harrods, Natacha experienced the systematic abuse that all survivors endured.
Like many others, Natacha has previously weaved her right to anonymity to ensure her voice was heard. She has been a strong advocate for the rights of survivors seeking justice and has consistently called for accountability for those who enabled the abuse, including individuals around Al Fayed.
Natacha expressed significant criticism of the current Harrods redress scheme, which remains under the control of many senior managers who were present during those years of abuse.
Natacha stated, ‘I welcome the latest developments and the new KP Law mechanisms that address many of my concerns, as well as those of other survivors. For the first time, there is a clear way forward that puts us in control.’
She added, ‘I am also encouraged that these new mechanisms allow for progress towards a fair settlement without the need to go to court. It was clear that Harrods never had the interests of survivors in mind when they proposed the current scheme, as they merely hoped that many would join it to avoid the anxiety and stress of going to court.’
Natacha continued, ‘While I was willing to pursue this path, believing that Harrods should be held accountable, the new mechanisms have been designed with our needs in mind, offering a true and fair process for reaching a settlement without the requirement of court involvement. This is something that should be welcomed by all.’
Sarah Savogi
Although a survivor and part of the Harrods litigation, Sarah was never employed by Harrods or directly by ‘the family’. Sarah simply went for a meal with friends, was introduced to Al Fayed at the restaurant and then suffered horrific abuse in the restaurant as the predator took advantage.
Sarah has previous spoken out, helping to raise awareness of the systemic abuse and letting other survivors know that they were not alone. She has also been highly critical of the time it has taken to even get this far and believes that Harrods and the defendant lawyers have put every obstacle in the way to delay and make things as difficult as possible.
Sarah commented: “The current Harrods redress scheme announced earlier this year simply isn’t right. Not only does it put Harrods in control, but it is focused on what is best for them … and not on the needs of the survivors.
Like every survivor, I want this over, and to reach a conclusion but it must be right and fair. Harrods have shown time and again that they simply don’t care about the impact on the survivors, nor in helping to root out the enablers and hold them to account. Indeed, they have been holding an internal investigation for over 2 years as to who knew what and have failed to make any formal announcements on the outcome of the findings. How can we believe anything they say.
I am very pleased that finally it appears that through these new mechanisms, justice appears to be in sight and there is now a clear and fair process in place that will stop Harrods being able to undervalue any individual claim”.
Catherine Lambert
Catherine has been a strong voice for raising awareness about the systematic abuse she and countless other survivors suffered at the hands of Al Fayed. She worked at Harrods as a personal assistant to the Chairman between 1990 and 1991. During that time, she suffered multiple sexual assaults by Al Fayed and was subjected to unnecessary and invasive medical examinations. While the results of these examinations were shared with select members of the ‘Harrods team’, Catherine never received her own results.
Like many survivors, Catherine has been highly critical of the Harrods redress scheme since it was established in March 2025. Her primary concern is Harrods’ requirement for psychiatric medical examinations conducted by Harrods’ chosen practitioners. This policy brings back distressing memories of the experiences from her time working at Harrods.
Additionally, she believes that the scheme fails to recognise the varying degrees of abuse experienced by each individual.
Catherine stated, “I am very pleased that the new KP Law mechanisms recognise each survivor as an individual and will evaluate their personal circumstances and experiences. This stands in sharp contrast to the current scheme, which fails to consider the specific abuse each person endured and instead adopts a rigid, one-size-fits-all standardised approach.
She continued, “Given Harrods’ history and its consistent prioritisation of its own interests throughout this lengthy and stressful process, I am encouraged that KP Law will assess each survivor’s case individually and submit one final claim This approach ensures that individual claims will not be undervalued, and any final settlement will reflect the true nature of the abuse suffered at the hands of Al Fayed and the Harrods establishment.
Catherine concluded, “Although the process has been long and incredibly stressful, with Harrods constantly delaying and seemingly creating obstacles, the outcome supports the decision reached by KP Law. This decision, supported by hundreds of survivors, rejects the original scheme and advocates for a fairer, more protective solution that addresses the genuine concerns of survivors, providing the justice and compensation they are entitled to. The end appears to be in sight”.
The current Harrods scheme is to close on 31st March 2026, putting further pressure on clients to either join or accept the potential for drawn out litigation. The new mechanisms agreed with KP Law extend this period, with an expectation that they will run until May of 2026 and importantly, these mechanisms remain open to additional survivors should they wish to join the KP Law settlement process.
Lucy Traynor, Senior Associate at KP law stated
“These new processes mark a significant turning point for survivors. For many the existing Harrods scheme raised deep concerns about independence and re-traumatisation. Knowing that they now have a secure, survivor-led alternative is incredibly important.
These processes have been shaped around what survivors told us they needed: a process that respected their voices, recognised their experiences and protected their wellbeing.
We are encouraged to see both Harrods and the Estate taking meaningful steps towards a process that truly supports healing and closure.”