Bernadette Greene-Placentia, a Democratic congressional candidate in Arizona, has alleged she was attacked and raped in August while attempting to repair a damaged campaign sign. The candidate, a trucker and small-business owner, shared her account with the Phoenix New Times, a local publication.
According to the campaign, the alleged assault occurred on 14 August. Greene-Placentia told the newspaper she was walking across a parking lot after 2am to fix a sign when an attacker struck her, causing her to lose consciousness. She recalled waking to find a man on top of her and discovering she was being raped. She also recalled another man approaching and pushing her leg, at which point she said she swung her foot. She stated the man then said, “Not even worth it,” and both attackers left her in the parking lot.
Greene-Placentia said her memory of the incident and its aftermath was hazy, and she may have sustained a concussion, with her body covered in bruises. She initially did not report the assault due to feeling ���embarrassed” and wanting to forget it. However, she later decided to speak out, telling the paper she felt she could not advocate for Arizonans without also fighting for victims of sexual assault. She reported the incident to the Maricopa county sheriff’s office two weeks after it happened.
A campaign spokesperson told the Guardian that Greene-Placentia chose to share her story to support other survivors. A Maricopa county sheriff’s spokesperson declined to comment on the matter, stating that the investigation is ongoing.