A politician in the Welsh parliament, Rhys ab Owen, is facing suspension following a report that found him to have touched a woman “inappropriately” in the back of a taxi.
The report also accused him of inappropriate behavior towards another woman on a night out. Mr. ab Owen, who represents South Wales Central and was elected in 2021, denies any improper conduct. The incident occurred after a dinner for Plaid Cymru Senedd members at a restaurant, followed by a gathering at a Wetherspoons pub.
The report, which was 67 pages long, detailed that Mr. ab Owen called one of the complainants a derogatory term in the street and then touched her inappropriately by putting his arms around her and pulling her body close to his. The report also stated that he squeezed her upper thigh hard with his hand.
Rhys ab Owen (Credits: Sky News)
On 2 July 2021, Mr. ab Owen was given full details of the allegations and apologized for his behavior in emails and phone calls. However, he has accused the Senedd Standards commissioner of bias and requested that the commissioner recuse himself from the investigation.
The standards of conduct committee found that there had been serious breaches of the code of conduct and recommended a 42-day suspension from Senedd proceedings for Mr. ab Owen.
In response, Mr. ab Owen apologized to those affected by his behavior and stated that he is considering his next steps. He mentioned making lifestyle changes to become a better person and representative. Despite the incident, Mr. ab Owen expressed his commitment to the Senedd and his constituents.
