"It smashes his legacy," she says. "It's the next best thing."

Cheska has been asked what justice she hopes to receive for speaking out against alleged sexual predator Mohamed Al FayedAn Egyptian billionaire businessman who owned the Ritz in Paris and Harrods department store in the UK. He died in 2023. . Fayed, a billionaire businessman and prominent public figure who died last year, will never sit opposite her in a court of law to answer for the accusations.

But nor will history treat him kindly. Lawyers representing the more than 20 alleged victims of his crimes so far, described the billionaire as a "monster" and said he "preyed on the most vulnerable".

Dean Armstrong KCKing's Counsel - a title given to barristers and solicitors (types of lawyers) in the UK. said that it was reminiscentA reminder of or similar to something else. of various other high-profile cases of prolific and long-unchecked sexual abuse, including Jimmy SavileA British media personality who died in 2011 aged 84. After he died hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse were made against him. , Jeffrey EpsteinHe was a financier arrested in July 2019 on charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking. He was denied bail ahead of his trail and died while in jail. His death has been officially ruled a suicide by the New York City medical examiner, though a pathologist hired by Epstein's brother claims it may have been a murder. and Harvey WeinsteinA US film producer who is currently in prison after being found guilty of rape. Accusations against him sparked the global #MeToo movement in 2017, in which woman spoke out against sexual abuse and harassment. .¹

One of Fayed's alleged victims, just 19 years old, said that being offered a job with Fayed seemed like "the chance of a lifetime". But it turned out to be a "lion's den". The women have accused Fayed of rape, attempted rape, sexual battery and sexual abuse of minors.

The allegations paint a disturbing picture, one of a systemicSomething that is deeply rooted in a system or society. abuse of power. "We were like lambs to the slaughter," said one of the accusers.

Some wonder how it took so long to come to light. The first investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, racism and staff surveillance against Fayed took place in 1995 - almost 30 years ago.

Some say it indicates an extensive network of abuse. A number of other individuals have been accused of covering up Fayed's crimes, including a former senior Metropolitan PoliceThe name of London's police force. detective and Harrods' company doctor. Witnesses say the abuse was an "open secret".

When will it end, some ask? We are cautioned that rape allegations can "ruin men's lives". But one man accused of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment by 26 women is running for his second term as US president.² Even the Royal Family is not immune: Prince AndrewThe third child of Britain's late Queen Elizabeth II. has been accused of multiple counts of raping a teenage girl. Both men deny the accusations.

"Smashing his legacy" is a potent message from women who have been silenced for decades. But the victims of powerful men deserve justice, not "the next best thing".

Are powerful men still getting away with abuse?

Yes: From the headlines we are seeing currently, the scale of the problem has never been clearer. Women are suffering at the hands of powerful men. And, like Al Fayed, they may never be held to account in their lifetimes.

No: If anything, this case shows that powerful men are no longer getting away with abuse. Increasingly, victims and survivors of sexual misconduct feel comfortable with speaking out against predators to hold them to account.

Or... It is not just powerful men still getting away with abuse: it is all men. We only need to look at the recent case of Gisele PelicotA French woman whose husband has admitted to drugging her and inviting dozens of men to abuse her without her knowledge. She has waived her right to anonymity. to see how normalised misogynistic abuses are.