The managing director of Harrods says the London department store is “deeply sorry” for failing employees who say they were sexually assaulted by late owner Mohamed Al Fayed.

Multiple former employees told the BBC they had been raped or sexually assaulted by the billionaire businessman, who died last year.

The legal team representing the alleged victims of the former owner of Harrods, Mohamed Al Fayed, say the late billionaire was a “monster” whose crimes were “enabled” by the high-end department store.

The high-end London department store, Harrods, said Thursday that it is “utterly appalled” by allegations of abuse – including rape – perpetrated by its former owner, the late billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed.

At least 37 women come forward saying they were raped or sexually assaulted, as abuse of minors added to tally of claims against billionaire

One woman who said al-Fayed raped her at his apartment on Park Lane when she was a teenager branded him a “monster, a sexual predator with no moral compass whatsoever”, describing the staff at Harrods as his “playthings”. She said: “We were all so scared. He actively cultivated fear. If he said ‘jump’, employees would ask ‘how high?’.”

Around 60 women have now come forward to allege they were sexually abused by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, lawyers representing them said on Friday.