Former Fulham Ladies captain Ronnie Gibbons has hailed the bravery of the women who went public about the abuse they suffered at the hands of Mohamed Al-Fayed and revealed it was their stories that inspired her to tell her own story.
The Republic of Ireland international, who led Fulham’s women during the 2000-01 campaign, waived her right to anonymity to tell the Athletic earlier this month that the club’s former chairman had sexually assaulted her twice in his office at Harrods. She spoke during a media briefing given by Justice for Harrods Survivors, who say they are now investigating 421 reports of sexual abuse against the Egyptian businessman and have set up a fulhamfcsurvivors.com website.
Gibbons said:
“I would have really have liked to have met some of the other amazingly brave ladies who are speaking up about Mohammed Al-Fayed and his appalling behaviour.
“Seeing you speak helped me to have the courage to get in touch with the barristers. And as difficult as it’s been, it’s been very empowering and I know that by speaking out, we are making it harder for this kind of behaviour to be tolerated anywhere.
I know we are making it easier for others to speak up. I wish I had the same support system when I went through what I did. I’m a parent now, and one of the main reasons I’m doing this is to make a better world for my child and future generations.”
Gibbons’ lawyer, Dean Armstrong, added:
“Her sense of responsibility to her team-mates and the Fulham Ladies Club as a whole placed her in an impossible position. There were magazine shoots in ball gowns and tight football shorts, which were seemingly obligatory, and Ronnie was told that, at Al Fayed’s request, she was to wear her hair down.”
