Lawyers for Harrods are proposing six-figure payouts to settle claims brought by sexual abuse victims of the London department store’s former owner, Mohamed al Fayed.
Sky News has learnt that MPL Legal, which is coordinating a redress scheme on behalf of the world-famous retailer, has told potential claimants that they could be eligible for general damages lump sums of up to £110,000 or £200,000, depending upon claimants’ willingness to submit to a psychiatric assessment arranged by the company.
A document seen by Sky News suggests that victims of Mr al Fayed who choose a “non-medical pathway” would be eligible for “general damages limited to compensation for sexual assault of up to £110,000”, with “aggravated damages [of] up to £15,000”, and “wrongful testing fixed payment(s) up to £7,500”.
Claimants who agree to an assessment by a scheme consultant psychiatrist – referred to in the document as the “medical pathway” – would be eligible for general damages of up to £200,000, further payments equivalent to those potentially awarded to non-medical claimants, as well as treatment costs “past and future supported by the medical report” and a “work impact payment capped at £110,000”.
The “wrongful testing” payments refer to women who were forced to undergo unnecessary and intrusive medical examinations demanded by Mr al Fayed, while the “work impact payments” relate to loss of earnings triggered by, for example, the unjustified termination of victims’ employment at Harrods.
The draft terms raise the prospect that some of the former Harrods owner’s victims could receive payments of more than £300,000.
However, the decision to impose a further psychiatric assessment in order to access the largest sums available under the scheme may anger claimants who have already endured years of psychological trauma after being abused by Mr al Fayed.
Those who opt to pursue the “medical pathway” nevertheless face a protracted wait to receive their payouts.
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