Keaton’s Determination to Gather Evidence
A man described how he helped expose “seismic” rape and sexual assault allegations about Mohamed Al Fayed after his fiancee told him she was a victim of the Harrods billionaire. Keaton Stone spent years speaking to women around the world, gathering a “damning” dossier of evidence. He took that to the BBC in 2023 and helped make the documentary, Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods. His now wife, Sophia Stone, had been a personal assistant to the businessman after joining Harrods at 19.
Sophia’s Revelation
Mrs. Stone revealed to her husband in 2018 that Al Fayed groomed, sexually assaulted, and attempted to rape her. It emerged as he helped rewrite her CV. After realizing that she had worked for Al Fayed, he put it at the top of her resume. “Harrods, to me, was this amazing, prestigious store, so I made a huge deal of that,” Mr. Stone said. “When I presented it to her, thinking she would be happy, I did not expect her reaction. She completely broke down crying, shaking, and saying, ‘why have you got his name on there, get him off.’ This horrible, visceral, distraught reaction. I knew something wasn’t right here.”
Keaton’s Determination to Gather Evidence
Her description of what happened became the catalyst for a six-year journey, resulting in an expose and the documentary. Mr. Stone, who acted as a consultant for the programme, said, “It was very hard for her to tell me. She still finds it so traumatic.” She told her fiance that Al Fayed tried to rape her several times while she worked for the firm between 1988 and 1991. There was also “constant harassment and sexual assault” both in the office and everywhere she went with him, including private helicopters and planes.
Creating the Documentary to Expose the Abuse
Mr. Stone emphasized, “I want to make the point: Why didn’t these people leave? They couldn’t. They were threatened, silenced, and terrified. That’s why [Sophia] couldn’t leave.” He highlighted that what happened to Sophia was not a lucky escape but a traumatic experience that still affects her today. He described Al Fayed’s actions against the numerous women who shared their experiences as “absolutely beyond despicable and depraved.”
The Challenges Faced by Survivors
The couple moved around, living in places including London before finally settling in south Staffordshire. It was there, first in a spare room, then in an office in their garden, that Mr. Stone began piecing the evidence together. He said his wife had buried what had happened to her for a long time, which he says is the case for many survivors worldwide. “Most of them have deeply buried this,” he said. When he contacted former employees of Al Fayed, many responded by saying, “You’ve no idea how long I’ve waited for this email or this text. I’ve waited 25 years for someone to ask me about this.” He added that although attempts to expose Al Fayed had been made before, they had never gained traction, and he dismissed them.
The Importance of Telling the Story
Since the documentary aired, the team has received many more survivors coming forward, and Mr. Stone believes there are hundreds. Al Fayed died in August 2023. “He knew something was happening; he was aware,” Mr. Stone said. “We desperately didn’t want another [Jimmy] Savile situation – we wanted him in jail. The scale of this took time, and sadly he died, but it is still of overwhelming importance to the survivors that the world knows the truth about him.”
The Impact on Survivors and the Fight for Accountability
Mr. Stone hopes the revelations will help ensure those who facilitated Al Fayed’s actions are held accountable. In a statement last month, Harrods acknowledged that during Al Fayed’s ownership, it “failed our employees who were his victims, and for this, we sincerely apologize.” The statement added, “The Harrods of today is a very different organization.”
“Sophia is tired. She’s had to live with this every day for six years,” Mr. Stone said. “She is still deeply traumatized and wants to put it behind her, but she believes this must be exposed. It needs to be, for the greater good and for all the other survivors – it must continue to be investigated and exposed.”
Conclusion
The fight to expose Al Fayed’s abuse was not easy, but it was necessary. Sophia’s courage and Keaton’s determination brought to light the horrific actions that had been hidden for years. The documentary has given a voice to the survivors, and the hope remains that this will lead to accountability and justice. For the many affected, the truth being known is a crucial step toward healing and change.
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