Alex Duffy, a former professor of engineering at the University of Strathclyde, is set to face trial on multiple sex offence charges involving five women, including students. The 68-year-old from Newton Mearns, near Glasgow, stands accused of 21 offences, which prosecutors say took place between 2008 and 2020. Many of the alleged incidents reportedly occurred on university premises.

The charges include two counts of rape and a series of sexual offences involving repeated inappropriate comments, threats, and alleged coercion. Court documents allege that Duffy subjected one woman to persistent sexual remarks and aggressive behavior. Another woman is said to have been intimidated through threats linked to her academic work, with claims that Duffy imposed "deadlines" and demanded she perform sexual acts as a "penalty" for non-compliance. Prosecutors also accuse him of persuading the victim to take explicit photographs and videos of herself.

Specific allegations include an alleged rape at a Premier Inn hotel on West George Street, Glasgow, between October 2013 and December 2014, where Duffy supposedly pressured the woman into sex involving a third person while she was blindfolded. Additional accusations cite a sexual assault at a property in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, in 2017 and another rape at a flat in Glasgow’s Dennistoun area in January 2020. According to the charges, Duffy attended the flat uninvited, groped the woman, and ordered her to perform a sexual act.

Duffy is further accused of sending indecent communications to a third woman, threatening removal from her course, and similarly pressuring her to engage in sexual acts to avoid academic penalties. Other allegations suggest he raped and attempted to rape this woman at a university building, a nearby flat, and inside a vehicle in Fife. Two additional women reportedly experienced lewd comments and discussions of a sexual nature, with one claim including an attempt at blackmail.

Duffy, who has denied all allegations through his legal representatives, no longer holds a position at the University of Strathclyde. The trial is scheduled for August 2027, and he remains on bail pending proceedings.

A university spokesperson stated, "We are aware of the allegations facing a former member of staff. As this is a live case, it would not be appropriate to comment." The institution confirmed it is cooperating fully with relevant authorities.