The Attack and the Report
Bernadette Greene-Placentia reported a brutal sexual assault to police more than two weeks after it happened. According to the Democratic candidate for Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, she informed officers of being struck on the back of the head and raped near 2 a.m. on August 14. She said this occurred in Sun City while she was returning to her car after working on campaign signs. NBC News reported that Greene-Placentia filed the official report with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office on August 31. She recounted that a second man mounted her before she attempted to resist him.
Greene-Placentia told investigators that she believed her attackers knew she was a political figure. The incident report notes she recalled one suspect using a slur that included the word “democratic.” She told NBC News she heard one suspect say “ick b—-,” which she interpreted as “democratic b—-.” The report also states she did not clarify exactly when these words were spoken during the attack. She described waking up on the ground with a huge lump on her head and seeing the men leave.
One of the men reportedly said, “You’re right, she’s not worth it,” before they walked away. Greene-Placentia told ABC News she thinks the assault was a “crime of opportunity” rather than a targeted political hit. She stated, “I’m pretty sure they knew who I was.” Regardless of political motives or other factors, the incident was an assault on a woman, and no woman ought to be targeted, regardless o. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to ABC News that an investigation is currently ongoing.
Why She Decided to Speak
Greene-Placentia told ABC News she felt a strong moral duty to come forward after talking to senior voters. She was discussing her plans to fight for the Veterans Administration and fix Social Security when the idea struck her. This internal conflict drove her decision to break her silence.
She told the Washington Times that her memory of the moments immediately preceding the attack was minimal. She recalled looking up and seeing her car was only about three yards away. She told her husband and her campaign team that revealing this would be painful but necessary. “So afterwards, I told my husband and my team, I was like, this is really going to suck, but I have to speak up,” she said. Her choice to publicize the event aims to support other victims while she campaigns against incumbent Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh.
The investigation remains active as the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office continues to gather evidence. No suspect has been publicly named or charged at this time. Greene-Placentia continues her campaign for the seat while dealing with the aftermath of the assault. She told reporters that she has “pretty good situational awareness” but admitted the attack happened too fast. The Washington Times noted that her disclosure brings new focus to the race in Arizona’s 8th District.
