Two women who previously made allegations against Davies, and were granted anonymity to protect their privacy, contacted POLITICO on Friday to object to his statement to Nation Cymru. One, a sitting Labour MP first elected in 2015, said she had entered a formal complaint with the party to raise an allegation of unwanted touching.
“Having been touched by Geraint against my wishes, I can say the allegations of sexual harassment are more than hearsay. Whilst I can’t speak for other women’s experiences, I know the way he touched me left me deeply upset and unsettled and I spent most of the years we were both MPs trying to put as much physical distance between us as was possible,” she said.
A second woman said: “As someone who experienced this behaviour firsthand, I know that these claims are not hearsay. Women don’t come forward because of exactly this kind of platform and response.”
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “All complaints are assessed thoroughly in line with our rules and procedures. To protect the confidentiality of the complainants, we do not provide information about specific allegations made.”
They added: “It is categorically untrue to suggest that the fact Mr Davies was not re-selected as a Labour candidate was unconnected to the serious allegations made about his conduct.”
A spokesperson for Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party, said: “Plaid Cymru treats all complaints of sexual harassment and abuse with the utmost seriousness. Every concern raised is taken seriously, and allegations are considered fairly and thoroughly, taking into account all available evidence. We encourage anyone who has experienced or witnessed inappropriate behaviour to come forward, so that concerns can be properly investigated and appropriate action taken.”
Davies did not respond to a request for comment.