Mohamed Al FayedAn Egyptian billionaire businessman who owned the Ritz in Paris and Harrods department store in the UK. He died in 2023. will never sit in courtA place where matters of the law are decided by judges or juries. and have to answer questions about his behaviour.

The billionaire businessman, who owned the London shop Harrods for many years, died last year. Now women who worked for him have come forward and accused him of rapeIn the UK, rape is defined in law as when someone intentionally uses their penis to penetrate another person's vagina, mouth or anus without their consent. and sexual abuse.

Some of the women have chosen to speak publicly. A lawyer speaking on their behalf called Fayed a "monster".

Dean Armstrong KCKing's Counsel - a title given to barristers and solicitors (types of lawyers) in the UK. said that it was similar to other cases of powerful men who abused women or children over a long time, 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. .

Some wonder how it took so long to come to light. The first investigation into allegationsClaims of wrongdoing. against Fayed took place in 1995 - almost 30 years ago.

Some think it shows that systems of power allow the rich and famous to get away with abuse. In some cases, people may know about the abuse but be too afraid to speak out. Often, abusers and the people around them have much more power than the alleged victims.

But is this time over? Today, one man accused of rape is running to be president of the USAThe United States of America is a country in North America. It has a population of 329 million. - again. In the UK, Prince AndrewThe third child of Britain's late Queen Elizabeth II. has also been accused of rape. Both Donald TrumpAn American television personality who became US president from 2016 to 2020. He is running to be president again in 2024. and the prince denySay that a claim somebody else makes is not true. any wrongdoing.

Are powerful men still getting away with abuse?

Yes! The headlines from around the world show us how big this problem is. Women are still suffering at the hands of powerful men. Many stories are only told in publicOrdinary people in the community or a place where everyone is allowed to go. when the men have died.

No! If anything, this story shows that men are no longer getting away with abuse. More and more women today feel comfortable to speak out against abuse and show that no one can get away with it.