Results of gynaecological tests of Harrods employees were shared with its former boss Mohamed Al Fayed, an attorney has claimed.
The Egypt-born businessman, who died last year at the age of 94, has been accused of rape and sexual against several women who worked for him.
Lawyers representing 37 alleged victims branded him a "monster" who was "enabled by a system that pervaded Harrods" at a news conference on Friday.
Five of the women said they had been raped by Al Fayed, while another has come forward to claim she was subjected to a "sickening" sexual assault by the billionaire.
Many of them are represented by women's rights attorney Gloria Allred who told The Anton Savage Show there are several serious charges.
"It was a terrible thing that they had foisted upon them, these victims, by Mohamed Al Fayed," she said.
"It did involve allegations of serial rape by him, of attempted rape and of sexual battery and also of child molestation.
"So these are very serious charges - I'm just very proud of all of the survivors who have come forward."
Gloria Allred, 26-8-08. Image: Digital Focus / AlamyMs Allred said Mohamed Al Fayed "tried to silence them while they were alive and they will not be silenced more".
"They were threatened by Mohamed Al Fayed if they told anybody and they had a basis for being terrified of him.
"He even said to some of them, 'I know where your family lives. If you ever say anything to anyone you'll never work in London again.'"
Ms Allred said their phones were tapped at Harrods and there was surveillance carried out.
"One person found out that there was surveillance of her to find out if she had a boyfriend," she said.
"That was something that Mohammed Al-Fayed wanted to know.
"They were subjected to invasive gynaecological examinations as a condition of employment.
"All of those private medical results from the examination were provided to Mohamed Al Fayed without the women and girls consent and without their authorisation."
Harrods department store in London, 27-5-13. Image: Dan Breckwoldt / AlamyMs Allred said it was an extraordinary situation.
"It was just extraordinary that he wanted to know about whether they had any sexually transmitted diseases, obviously, because he wanted to have sex with them," she said.
She said in some cases the gynaecological results were shared with Al Fayed before they were shared with the women themselves.
"It is extraordinary and it's just a sign of what he was up to and the control that he was exercising," she said.
"He had very strong anger if it wasn't done his way."
Paris
Ms Allred said there are a number of allegations of assaults taking place in France.
"He not only sexually assaulted some women in Harrods but also some of them he required to take trips with him to Paris," she said.
"There are allegations that in Paris at the Ritz Hotel, which he owned, that there were assaults taking place there."
Ms Allred said there also allegations of assaults at the home that Al Fayed owned in Paris as well as other locations.
'Putting two and two together'
Ms Allred said she believes "a lot of people" knew what was going on.
"For example, they would see some of the victims coming out of Park Lane, which was also a home of Mohamed Al Fayed," she said.
"The young women would be dishevelled, they would be crying, some of them were hysterical.
"Some of the security people saw that and they could put two and two together and see what was happening".
Ms Allred said she believes it went on for a long time "because many of the victims were in fear of saying anything".
Mohamed Al Fayed took control of the London department store in 1985 and later expanded his business interests to include the Paris Ritz and Fulham Football Club.
Harrods response
Harrods has said in a statement it is "utterly appalled" by the allegations of abuse and apologised to Al Fayed's alleged victims.
It added: "These were the actions of an individual who was intent on abusing his power wherever he operated and we condemn them in the strongest terms. We also acknowledge that during this time his victims were failed and for this we sincerely apologise. We are doing everything we can to fix this."
The statement continued: "While we cannot undo the past, we have been determined to do the right thing as an organisation, driven by the values we hold today, while ensuring that such behaviour can never be repeated in the future."
The department store has also set up a page on its website inviting former employees to come forward if they have allegations.
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