An Oxford University lecturer who was previously in a relationship with former Cabinet minister and Tory peer Michael Gove is set to stand trial on charges related to child abuse images. Dr. Lola Salem, 33, who has been a music lecturer at Oriel College since 2022, faces allegations of possessing multiple indecent images of a child. Salem has denied the charges.
The case was subject to a procedural hearing at Oxford Crown Court on September 30, where the trial was scheduled for March 2028. Salem has been suspended from her position at Oriel College pending the legal proceedings. The college confirmed it was informed of the serious charges in June 2026.
Salem was in a relationship with Michael Gove for over two years until their recent split, which the former Cabinet minister confirmed publicly. The alleged offenses reportedly occurred prior to their relationship. The pair’s relationship came into public view in mid-2024 when they appeared together at a social event, shortly before Gove was named editor of The Spectator magazine.
According to court documents, Salem is accused of possessing three category B indecent images and one category C indecent image of a child, with the offenses alleged to have taken place between 2021 and 2023. She has pleaded not guilty and is currently out on bail. It is reported that Salem intends to argue that the images were sent to her unsolicited and that she reported the matter to the police.
Salem’s case is linked to a broader investigation by Thames Valley Police, which also involved historian and geopolitical analyst Henry Hopwood-Phillips. Hopwood-Phillips, 39, admitted to charges of taking and distributing indecent images of children and received a suspended sentence in June 2026, along with a sexual harm prevention order and lifetime notification requirements.
Born in France, Salem has an extensive academic background in music and cultural studies. She trained as a singer at Maitrise de Radio France and studied musicology and philosophy at prestigious institutions including the Ecole Normale Supérieure and La Sorbonne. After completing a PhD at Oxford focusing on operatic repertoire, she served in various academic roles, including head of development at the Canterbury Institute and lecturer at Wadham and St Catherine’s colleges.
Salem was also involved with the Civic Future Leadership School, an organization aimed at training future public office holders, founded by Munira Mirza, former head of the Downing Street policy unit.
Oriel College described Salem as an expert on contemporary governance and cultural institutions but noted that she no longer teaches at the university. The college reiterated that she remains suspended as the case proceeds through the courts.