Paul Gascoigne's Daughter Says She Was Groomed and Sexually Assaulted by Al Fayed

British model Bianca Gascoigne has said she was groomed and sexually assaulted by Mohamed al Fayed when she worked at Harrods as a teenager.

The 37-year-old, who is the daughter of England football legend Paul Gascoigne, had visited the luxury department store in Knightsbridge with her parents when she was growing up and said Al Fayed would be "charming" and bring them gifts.

Speaking publicly about it for the first time, she said this implied by the time she joined Harrods aged 16 she felt "safe" in his presence.

However, when she started working for the Egyptian businessman she claimed he would grope her and force her to kiss him during their weekly meetings.

She said she felt trapped and frightened and one night he offered her the Harrods Park Lane apartment to stay in before a flight.

In an emotional interview, Gascoigne said: "[Al Fayed] turned up at the apartment to my shock, I was just gobsmacked, I was kind of very shell-shocked." She explained.

"I just didn't really know what to do, he came in and then he sat me down on the sofa... he got his privates out and got my hands and was trying to manoeuvre them on his parts.

"When that didn't work he was trying to force my head on to his lap.

"And I don't know how but I managed to wiggle away.

"And I think possibly you know, that him knowing my parents... I don't know, that might have saved me at that moment. But it was horrific."

Many related allegations against Al Fayed have emerged since the release of an investigation by the BBC who died last year at age 94.

The Metropolitan Police said it recorded 60 allegations against Al Fayed since the BBC documentary, including claims of rape and sexual assault. Those are in addition to the 21 women who went to the police between 2005 and 2023 with sex crime allegations against the businessman.

On Monday Harrods said more than 250 people are part of its process to settle compensation claims over Al Fayed's alleged sexual misconduct.
Source: Sky news