Photo: OLIVIER TOURON / AFP / Getty Images
Arizona Democratic congressional candidate Bernadette Greene-Placentia says she was sexually assaulted by two men while repairing a campaign sign in Sun City, northwest of Phoenix, in August. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that no suspects have been identified and no physical evidence has been recovered, with the investigation still ongoing, according to the Guardian.
Greene-Placentia, a trucker and small-business owner running in Arizona’s Eighth Congressional District, told the Phoenix New Times that the attack happened on August 14 at about 2 a.m., while she was fixing a damaged campaign sign in a parking lot. She reported being struck on the head, losing consciousness, and waking up to find one man on top of her while another stood nearby. She said she fought back, at which point both men left. Greene-Placentia described her memory as hazy and initially chose not to report the assault due to embarrassment, but later decided to come forward to support other victims of sexual assault.
She told her campaign staff and husband several days after the incident, and filed a report with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office two weeks later, as reported by the BBC. Greene-Placentia did not seek medical attention after the attack and did not undergo a sexual assault examination. She said she could not clearly identify her attackers but described them as white men. She also said one of the attackers may have made a political comment and used a misogynistic slur, though she was uncertain due to her state at the time.
Her Republican opponent, Abraham Hamadeh, called for authorities to thoroughly investigate, including reviewing possible camera footage from the area. He stated, "No American should become a victim of a crime in their own community," according to Fox11 Online.
A spokesperson for Greene-Placentia’s campaign said, "She chose to share her story because she knows many survivors struggle in silence, and she hopes that by speaking about her experience, others will know they are not alone." Greene-Placentia added, "I need to let women know that it’s OK to talk about it."
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has declined to comment further while the investigation continues. Greene-Placentia is running against Hamadeh in a heavily Republican district. She expressed concerns that the incident could overshadow her campaign’s message, but emphasized her commitment to fight for women and survivors of sexual assault.