ARIZONA CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE SAYS SHE WAS RAPED WHILE FIXING SIGN

Bernadette Greene-Placentia, a Democratic candidate for Arizona's 8th Congressional District, says she was raped on 14 August while repairing a damaged campaign sign near Sun City, Phoenix. She told a local news outlet that she had pulled into a car park near 99th Avenue and Bell Road at around 2am when an unknown man struck her over the head, causing her to lose consciousness. She said she woke to find the man on top of her, sexually assaulting her. A second man then approached, and she said she kicked out at him, at which point he said "Not even worth it" before both men left. She said she was left face down on the pavement while her car's engine and music continued running. Greene-Placentia, who works as a lorry driver and runs a small business, said her memory of the attack and its aftermath remains fragmented.

She said she may have suffered a concussion and was left covered in bruises, with only fragmented recollections of what happened. "It's just these little tiny flashes of things that I do remember," she said. "As much as I don't want to remember, I've tried very, very hard to remember more stuff. But that's where I'm at." Greene-Placentia said she initially chose not to report the assault, saying she felt "embarrassed" and wanted to forget what had happened. She told her campaign staff and her husband, Alex Placentia, about the attack several days later. Alex Placentia said she withdrew from her normal routine for two days afterwards, appeared unwell and took frequent baths. She reported the assault to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office roughly two weeks after it occurred.

A spokesperson for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a report was filed on 31 August and remains active, adding that no further details were available. Greene-Placentia said she decided to go public about the assault to support other victims of sexual assault. She said that after months of campaigning on behalf of Arizonans, she did not feel she could continue to do so without also advocating for women affected by sexual assault. The assault took place as she was carrying out a routine she said she followed often, repairing campaign signs late at night to avoid the heat and traffic.