Aveline
I don't know. If was forced to have an internal examination before a job I'd probably think, 'Now wait a minute!'. It's hard to imagine a threat that might be made that would stop me running for the hills. Obviously I'm not like these young women. He most likely picked those less likely to argue or make difficulties.
The internal examinations were part of a health check, one of the perks of the job. The doctor carrying out the examinations was female, and was fulsome in her praise of Al Fayed, telling the girls how fortunate they were to have a benevolent and humane employer, willing to provide healthcare for his staff.
And to be honest, when I started work for a bank at 16, 55 years ago, if they had told me at interview I had to undergo a medical, I would have just assumed that was part of the employment process, even if entailed an internal examination.
Naive maybe, but wouldn’t have questioned it, I don’t think.