Arizona congressional candidate says she was raped while repairing campaign sign

What the report says

Arizona Democratic congressional candidate Bernadette Greene-Placentia says she was raped while repairing campaign signs in a Phoenix-area parking lot late at night, according to BBC World News citing her account to the Phoenix New Times. She said she was knocked unconscious during the alleged attack in Sun City on 14 August and later had only a partial memory of what happened. The BBC reported that she did not immediately contact police and filed a report with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office about two weeks later.

Greene-Placentia said she kept the episode private at first because she felt ashamed and wanted to move on, but later decided to speak publicly so she could stand up for other survivors of sexual assault. She said she did not seek medical treatment or a sexual assault examination after the incident. The BBC reported that she remained away from public view for two days afterward and missed a campaign event.

Her Republican opponent, Abraham Hamadeh, called for a thorough investigation and urged authorities to review any available camera footage. The sheriff’s office has said the case is still under investigation, according to the BBC. The report said Greene-Placentia is worried the allegation could be viewed as a political tactic and distract from her campaign message on affordability. More broadly, the case highlights concerns about violence against political candidates and the challenges victims can face in reporting sexual assault.