Bianca Gascoigne accuses Mohamed Al Fayed of grooming

Gascoigne, who gave birth to a daughter last year, said she was compelled to talk about her experience after several victims went public with their stories of abuse at the hands of Al Fayed.

“I feel like I have to do this, I want to do this, and I want to stand for the women and just hopefully make any kind of change (so) that in the future, my daughter wouldn’t have to go through something like this,” she said.

Lawyers from the Justice for Harrods Survivors group, who represent the accusers of the former Harrods boss, have praised Gascoigne for her bravery, adding they are “proud to represent her and our other survivors as we move forward together in our quest for justice”.

The BBC has approached Gascoigne for further comment.

Al Fayed, who died last year aged 94, is accused of sexual misconduct by several women who worked for him – many of whom felt unable to report what had happened until recently.

At the time of many of the alleged attacks, the billionaire businessman was the owner of Harrods, the Ritz Paris hotel and football club Fulham FC.

The BBC heard testimony from more than 20 female ex-employees at Harrods during its investigation for the documentary and podcast – Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods.

The documentary, which aired last month, claimed that during Fayed’s ownership, Harrods not only failed to intervene but helped cover up abuse allegations.

Responding to the investigation, Harrods’ current owners said they were “utterly appalled” by the allegations and that his victims had been failed – for which the store sincerely apologised.

If you are affected by issues of sexual assault you can contact the BBC Action Line here.