A HARRODS employee who complained about sexual harassment earlier this year has accused the retailer of treating victims like perpetrators while real offenders are “being covered.”

Following allegations of rape and sexual abuse against the luxury goods outlet’s former boss Mohamed al-Fayed, the company said: “the Harrods of today is a very different organisation.”

But the worker, a United Voices of the World (UVW) union member who wished to remain anonymous, rejected these claims.

They said: “As a current employee of Harrods and having suffered from the rotten fruits of secrecy, corruption and the normalisation of sexual harassment in the business I’m appalled.

“They lied, the culture is very alive and kicking.

“Victims are being treated like perpetrators and perpetrators of such are being covered.”

UVW had demanded action, warning of a potential strike ballot if the “situation persists.”

Five women described the abuse they faced by al-Fayed to the BBC today, with one saying Harrods in 2018 “batted away” her letter reporting it.

Sophia said: “To be honest for those few years they were not interested.”

The company’s response was “quite dismissive of Sophia … almost blaming her for not coming forward before,” the broadcaster heard.

Former Harrods chief executive James McArthur said that he was witness to “abhorrent” behaviour from the shop’s late owner.

But Mr McArthur, who was chief executive for what he described as a “most unpleasant 10 months” in 2008, said he was “not aware” of any sexual abuse.

Harrods said in a statement: “UVW is not a recognised union by Harrods and therefore we do not engage with this organisation on our policies. We work with Unite as our recognised union.”