Arizona congressional candidate says she was raped while trying to repair campaign sign | Arizona

This article contains graphic descriptions of sexual assault.

An Arizona congressional candidate claims she was assaulted and raped in August while trying to repair one of her damaged campaign signs.

Bernadette Greene-Placentia, a truck driver and small business owner, shared her account with the Phoenix New Times, a local publication. The assault took place on August 14, according to the campaign.

The Democratic candidate, running in a district that includes parts of Phoenix, told the newspaper that she was walking across a parking lot just after 2 a.m. to repair a campaign sign when an assailant smashed her in the head, knocking her unconscious.

Greene-Placentia told the newspaper she woke up to find a man on top of her and discovered he was raping her. She remembers another man walking up and pushing her leg, and at that point she said she threw her foot at him. The man replied, “It’s not even worth it,” and the two attackers drove off, leaving her face down in the parking lot, she recalled.

The candidate said her memories of the incident and its aftermath were hazy, telling the newspaper she didn’t remember getting up from the sidewalk or returning home.

“It’s just these little flashes of things that I remember,” Greene-Placentia told Phoenix New Times. “As much as I don’t want to remember, I’ve tried very, very hard to remember more things. But this is where I am.”

She said she may have had a concussion as a result of the attack and her body was covered in bruises. She said she initially wanted to forget what happened and felt “embarrassed”, initially choosing not to report the assault. But she told the newspaper that on the campaign trail she often talked about fighting for Arizonians, “and I didn’t feel like I could continue to say that if I wasn’t also fighting for women who are victims of sexual assault.”

Greene-Placentia told her campaign staff and her husband about the assault days after it occurred and reported it to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office two weeks later, according to the Phoenix New Times. The newspaper interviewed Greene-Placentia’s parents, friends, campaign staff and landlord about the aftermath of the assault.

“Talking publicly about what happened has been incredibly difficult for Bernadette,” a campaign spokesperson told the Guardian on Wednesday after the Phoenix New Times article was published. “She chose to share her story because she knows many survivors struggle in silence, and she hopes that by speaking out about her experience, others will know they are not alone. »

The spokesperson added: “She hopes the focus will remain on supporting survivors and ensuring people who have experienced sexual violence know they are seen, heard and supported. »

“I need to let women know that it’s OK to talk about it,” Greene-Placentia told the newspaper.

State Rep. Stephanie Simacek, a friend of Greene-Placentia, said the congressional candidate told her about the assault in early September, telling the Phoenix New Times: “I felt sick to my stomach and it was extremely upsetting. It was a big wake-up call for me. I think a lot of times, as candidates and elected officials, we think this won’t happen to us.”

A Maricopa County sheriff’s spokesperson declined to comment, saying the investigation was ongoing.

Greene-Placentia is running against an incumbent Republican congressman, Abraham Hamadeh.

• Information and support for anyone affected by issues of rape or sexual abuse is available from the following organisations. In the United States, Rainn offers support at 800-656-4673. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In Australia, support is available on 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines are available at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html