Arizona candidate says she was raped while repairing campaign signs

Bernadette Greene-Placentia, a Democratic congressional candidate in Arizona, has said she was raped in a car park while repairing campaign signs late at night in her district. She told the Phoenix New Times she was knocked unconscious in the alleged attack in Sun City, a Phoenix suburb, on 14 August, and woke to find a man on top of her. She said she did not notify police initially, filing a report with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office two weeks later.

Greene-Placentia, who is running in congressional district eight, said she did not see a doctor after the alleged attack and did not receive a sexual assault examination. She described her memory of the events as spotty and said she did not get a good look at either assailant, though she described them as white men, according to the New York Times. She told the Phoenix New Times that one assailant may have referenced her political affiliation along with a misogynistic slur, though she could not be certain.

Her Republican opponent, Abraham Hamadeh, who is seeking a second term, called on authorities to examine the allegations closely. In a statement, he urged them to "investigate these serious allegations thoroughly, including finding all possible camera footage of the time and place," adding that no American should become a victim of a crime in their own community. The BBC said it had contacted the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office for comment, and a sheriff's spokesman told the New York Times the investigation was ongoing.

Greene-Placentia said she was "embarrassed" and "just wanted to forget" but felt compelled to speak up for other victims, noting she often campaigns on fighting for Arizonans. She told the Phoenix New Times she did not feel she could keep making that promise without also fighting for women who are victims of sexual assault. After the attack, she said she withdrew from public view for two days, staying in an apartment separate from her husband and skipping a campaign event.

When she returned, her husband, campaign staff and others close to her noticed she was acting differently, according to the Phoenix New Times. Greene-Placentia said she worried voters might dismiss the account as a political stunt aimed at winning points in a heavily Republican district. She also expressed concern that the allegations could overshadow her messaging on affordability.