Suspended Plaid Cymru Senedd member drunkenly and 'inappropriately touched' woman in the back of taxi

A Senedd member has been found to have drunkenly harassed a woman and grabbed her thigh in the back of a taxi. Rhys ab Owen, who was elected in 2021 to represent South Wales Central was suspended by Plaid Cymru over allegations he breached the Senedd code of conduct while an investigation has been ongoing.

A report by the Senedd's standards committee has now been released totalling 67 pages. The report says that on June 30, 2021, Mr ab Owen had been to a dinner for Plaid Cymru Senedd members at Cote restaurant in Cardiff Bay where he drank a pint of beer and wine. While there, the report said, he made "lewd comments about Senedd members and a member of Senedd Commission staff". It added: "After the dinner the member and a number of other members moved to Wetherspoons where they met up with a number of Plaid Cymru staff who had been attending a separate event." The report says Mr ab Owen was "more intoxicated than the others present".

He made further "disparaging comments" about a Senedd member, which were heard at adjoining tables, and "inappropriately touched" Witness A. In the street outside he twice called the complainant a "b***ch" before further touching her inappropriately and putting his arm around her waist and pulling her body close. "Knowing he was not welcome" Mr ab Owen got into the rear of the taxi, sitting next to the complainant.

The report stated: "In the taxi he touched the complainant inappropriately by squeezing her upper thigh hard with his hand. When called out by Witness A the member called her a ‘b**ch’."

While in the city centre at the Boom Bar Mr ab Owen, the complainant, and three witnesses sat together for three hours and drank more alcohol and he made further "disparaging" comments about other