Libel win for professor behind sex pest claims

An astrophysics professor who blew the whistle on an alleged sexual predator at a top space research centre has seen off a libel case against her.

Carole Mundell had been facing a High Court trial after exposing claims of ‘recurring’ sexual assaults against female PhD students by a colleague at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU).

She accused her former boss at the Astrophysics Research Institute, Professor Mike Bode, of helping alleged sex pest Dr Chris Simpson to take up a new job elsewhere. This prompted Professor Bode to launch claims of libel and slander against her.

The case was thrown out on Thursday by Mr Justice Warby.

He said: ‘I see no real prospect that ... the claimant would succeed in establishing that the publication of the alleged libel caused any substantial, let alone serious, harm to his reputation.’

Of the allegations against Dr Simpson, he said ‘there have been no findings about any of these matters’. He also did not make any findings about Professor Mundell’s allegations of collusion involving the university.

Dr Simpson, who now works at the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii, said: ‘There is not a shred of evidence to support any of the allegations made against me and I refute them entirely.’

Professor Bode said he would appeal against the decision. A representative for Professor Mundell – now head of astrophysics at the University of Bath – said it was inappropriate to comment.

In a statement, solicitors acting for LJMU said: ‘LJMU has robust and well-publicised anti-bullying and harassment, whistleblowing, discipline and grievance procedures in place.’