Arizona Congressional Hopeful Says She Was Raped During Campaign Sign Repair

Bernadette Greene-Placentia, who is running as a Democrat for Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, says she was raped in a Sun City parking lot as she worked on a damaged campaign sign. She told Phoenix New Times that the assault took place at roughly 2 a.m. on August 14 in the retirement community to the northwest of Phoenix. Greene-Placentia said she was struck on the head and was unconscious for a brief period. After she came to, she said, a man was positioned over her and was sexually assaulting her. She said the man used the word “bitch” and told her she was “not a very good f***.” She also alleged that a second man came up and attempted to spread her legs farther apart. She said she kicked at him, and he replied, “Not even worth it.” In her account, the two men left her lying face down in the lot. She drove herself home, but she said her memory of the aftermath is limited. “It's just these little tiny flashes of things that I do remember,” she told the newspaper. “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.” The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Greene-Placentia made a report on August 31 and said the investigation is still open. Greene-Placentia said she was embarrassed at first and wanted to put the alleged attack out of her mind. She ultimately chose to go public because advocacy for survivors of sexual assault is a central theme of her campaign.