Welsh Government hires sex offender to research sexuality and gender issue
The Welsh Government is reviewing how it came to award a research contract related to sexuality and gender to a firm whose sole director had been jailed after admitting three charges of sexual activity with a child while in a position of trust.
James Mullen was imprisoned for eight months in 2013 after being caught writhing around on a classroom floor with a girl pupil aged 16 after a parent-teacher event. He had got a job as a history teacher at the £24,000-per-year Catholic boarding school straight after leaving university, and had only worked there for six months when he began to groom the pupil.
Their relationship was uncovered when another teacher saw them in a “passionate embrace” in the school’s music room at 10pm. She confronted Mullen after seeing the girl leaving the room in a “dishevelled state”.
He broke down and was arrested by police later that evening.
Text messages between them proved he knew the relationship was wrong, the prosecution told St Albans Crown Court in Hertfordshire. In one, the girl asked Mullen ‘Is this law breaking? How much trouble could we get into?’, to which he replied: ‘Unfortunately, with me you are classified as vulnerable because I am your teacher.’
As well as the jail sentence, Mullen was banned from teaching for life.
By 2022 Mullen had been awarded a PhD in Ancient History. That year he set up a company called Laurel Research Consulting Ltd. Nine months later it successfully bid for a contract awarded by the Welsh Government.
Conversion practices
The advertisement for the contract stated: “This research is seeking to understand more about the experiences of conversion practices in Wales. The term ‘conversion practices’ refers to any efforts to change, modify or suppress a person’s sexual orientation, gender, expression of sexual orientation and/or expression of gender, regardless of whether it takes place in a healthcare, religious or other setting. The research will understand who experiences conversion practices, the forms these practices take, by whom they are conducted, and the reasons why they are carried out; identify settings where conversion practices occur; provide insight into the impact of conversion practices; understand the support available; and provide evidence-informed actions, recommendations, and best practice.
In May 2023, when Jane Hutt was the Minister for Social Justice, Laurel was awarded the contract, despite appearing to have little or no relevant experience in the subject area. The Welsh Government’s Equality Report for 2023 states: “Laurel Research Consulting Ltd was commissioned by the Welsh Government to undertake research aimed at understanding more about the experiences of conversion practices among people aged 18+ in Wales. Evidence from this research will be used to inform future policy development, tailor an awareness campaign, and help design and improve support service provision in relation to conversion practices in Wales.”
Based on his Linked-In profile, Mr Mullen’s only relevant experience to researching Conversion Therapy appears to be contributing to a Westminster All Party Parliamentary Group “reviewing safeguarding policy”.
Judgement
The Professional Conduct Panel stated in its judgement: “On July 23 2013 you were convicted at St Albans Crown Court of three offences of sexual activity with a female child between 13-17 years old; whilst in a position of trust; when you did not reasonably believe that the victim was over 18. This is contrary to section 16 (1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. You committed these offences between February 14 2013 and February 26 2013.
“A Sexual Offenders Notice and a Sexual Offences Prevention Order were imposed against you each for duration of 10 years on July 23 2013. You were sentenced on August 23 2013 to imprisonment for a period of eight months concurrently for each offence.”
That means Mr Mullen would still have been on the sex offenders register at the time the Welsh Government commissioned him to carry out the research.
Laurel Research Consulting Ltd. was incorporated on August 12 2022, following its founder James Stephen Mullen’s departure from his previous role in start-up Melian Dialogue PLC. Laurel now has three employees – these appear to be James Mullen, Boglárka Vincze, who also worked at Melian for 2 months, and Lindell Cumes, who seems to be a young investor from Austria, having sold his own AI-blockchain startup The Apollinaire Group. None of the employees seem to have any relevant qualifications or significant experience in the area of sexuality and gender.
Head of Research
In mid-2022, both James Mullen and Melian’s founder Jim Coke simultaneously claimed to be Head of Research. The company’s accounts show it had an average of three employees during that period. The company was originally founded as China Capital Management Ltd in December 2018, and is now in the process of winding up.
James Mullen successfully sued for unfair dismissal from Melian – the judgement contains further financial information about Laurel raising questions about two director loans.
We asked the Welsh Government a number of questions:
* How did the research contract come to be awarded to a company that had only very recently been established, and whose principals had little experience in the relevant field?
* Was the Welsh Government aware of Mr Mullen’s past offending?
* What due diligence was undertaken before the contract was awarded?
* How much was Laurel paid for the contract? Has the work been done?
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “Whilst all standard procurement and due diligence processes were followed during the tendering of this research contract, we will be reviewing the information supplied in light of the details raised.”
The spokesperson added: “The contract value is £31,000. The research will be published in autumn 2024 in accordance with GSR [Government Social Research] publication protocol.”
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Why am I not surprised. Incompetence in government once again
Our “governance” (sic) is no longer even a local authority on sticks, it’s less than a dysfunctional village darts club on its knees.
Just who did this guy fravorably know in the bidding process? He’s a “Friend of Jane” And Due Diligence, to Jane Hutt, that’s a guy on the bins in Tenby surely?
Suggests a distinct lack of ‘due diligence’.
Yes. ‘We followed all our internal procedures but didn’t pick up on the fact we were handing a contract to a convicted sex offender.’ Perhaps no one at Welsh Government can use an internet search engine.
Indeed. Hardly inspires confidence, does it?
This is appalling. Who does James Mullen know at Welsh Government? How can a sex offender running a company with no expertise in the subject area be awarded a contract by Welsh Government? Something here stinks to high heaven.
I’m surprised that you’re surprised. They’re all fully signed up to the gender identity cult.
On that note – I’ve been watching events in Scotland unfold with a feeling of sick disbelief (LGBT Youth Scotland, if you want to see for yourself). This isn’t the only incident where ‘due diligence’ and an attention to safeguarding and child protection seems to drop out of the picture when ‘gender identity’ issues are involved.
More likely there’s one or more deviants working within our government in Wales ! More elastic use of the term “Well connected” !
You could not make it up, our “government” is a shambles and an embarrassment to Wales.
Oh dear but what do you expect from serial trough feeder Hutt…..
This one has been stealing a living and a salary since the Senedd’s inception….
Reviewing how it came to award a research contract???? Is anybody in charge in the senedd? No one knows how this happened? Pure comedy from a dysfunctional governing body.
I strongly urge parents of school-age children to email their school – it’ll take a few minutes – and ask these two simple questions.
Can you please confirm that you do not teach the scientifically-baseless gender identity hypothesis as if it is established fact?
Can you confirm that, should my child report that he/she is confused about his/her gender or sexuality, that I will be informed immediately?
I predict that, if you get an answer at all, it will not be a straight one.
Further evidence that the the Welsh Gov has sold its soul to gender ideology nonsense and lost all sense of propriety. Whoever is responsible for approving this appointment should be sacked. Further any “research” findings should NEVER be published and should be shredded and binned as totally unreliable. This is a Government which employs “unknown” people to advise it on policy which will affect every citizen in Wales. This is process is a legacy from the Drakeford years and must be routed out. Democracy must be transparent.
I agree.
We need the money spent on issues which impact on all – or could impact on all – such as people on winter heat allowances or using foodbanks not tiny, minority woke interests.
Jane Hutt has a long line of bottom feeders where gender and race politics are concerned.
I’d like to see an investigation into the monies allocated to Race Council Cymru whose chief is a former aide.
Do we need any further proof that the lunatics are running the asylum – and have done since 1999
I was kind of hoping the trend of hiring sickos stayed in Westminster.
How have Welsh Labour ended up being so dysfunctional?
Its no wonder every building and civil engineering project goes over budget here, the level of incompetence at the WG is staggering, I suppose the “mistake” was down to the Tories in Westminster so how??
For God’s sake how difficult would it be to do a simple background check today? This has only a number of answers, 1) He was known to whoever in WG, which implies his colourful past would/ should have red flagged the contract application. 2) Total incompetence by those charged with researching the background to this company. 3) Whoever sanctioned the contract ignored the evidence relating to a possible conflict of interests between the company and the subject matter it was to report on. It is sad that after 25 years we in Wales are served by third rate politicians and… Read more »
You’re too kind. They’re fifth-rate politicians at best and the one mentioned in this article is a prime example.
Wouldn’t be too surprised if Hutt was aware of the sex offender awarded the contract’s past. Labour has a history of its politicians getting convicted for child sex offences and there were links to PIE, which caused a fair bit of embarrassment to Harriet Harman mainly (and a few others) when the story broke. Hutt is of the same generation as them… I think closer attention to her affairs should be paid.
This is sadly all too typical of a broken procurement function. Clearly *not* all due diligence was carried out – did they ask about the lead researcher’s experience for instance? And ‘the research will be published?’ So who is doing it now? It shows just how little WG has understood the issues here.