Arizona congressional candidate says she was raped while repairing campaign sign
Bernadette Greene-Placentia says her memory of the attack is spotty and that she was knocked unconscious.
Arizona congressional candidate says she was raped while repairing campaign sign
An Arizona congressional candidate has said she was raped in a car park while fixing campaign signs late at night in her district.
Bernadette Greene-Placentia, a Democrat, told the , external that she was knocked unconscious in the alleged assault in the Phoenix suburb of Sun City on 14 August, and woke to find a man on top of her.
She said she did not immediately alert police, instead filing a report with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office two weeks later.
Her Republican opponent, Abraham Hamadeh, called on authorities in a statement to "investigate these serious allegations thoroughly, including finding all possible camera footage of the time and place".
"No American should become a victim of a crime in their own community," said Hamadeh, who is seeking a second term in office.
Greene-Placentia told the Phoenix New Times she was "embarrassed" and "just wanted to forget", but felt she had to speak out for other victims.
The candidate said she frequently tells voters on the campaign trail that she is fighting for Arizonans.
She told the Phoenix New Times: "I didn't feel like I could keep saying that if I weren't also fighting for women that are victims of sexual assault."
Following the attack, Greene-Placentia said she stayed out of public view for two days, remaining in an apartment apart from her husband and missing a campaign event.
When she reappeared, her husband, campaign staff and others around her noticed she was behaving differently, according to Phoenix New Times.
Greene-Placentia said she did not see a doctor after the alleged attack in congressional district eight and did not undergo a sexual assault examination.
She said her recollection of events was incomplete and she did not get a clear look at either attacker, but described them as white men, according to the New York Times.
She told the Phoenix New Times that one attacker may have said something about her political affiliation, along with a misogynistic slur, though she could not be sure.
The candidate said she worried voters might view it as a political stunt aimed at gaining advantage in a heavily Republican district. She also said she feared the allegations could overshadow her message about affordability.