A congressional candidate in Arizona has said she was raped in a car park as she repaired campaign signs late at night in her district.
Bernadette Greene-Placentia, a Democrat, told the Phoenix New Times, external she was knocked unconscious during the alleged attack in the Phoenix suburb of Sun City on 14 August, waking up to find a man on top of her.
She said she did not initially notify police until filing a report with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office two weeks later.
Her Republican opponent, Abraham Hamadeh, urged 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 running for a second term in office.
Greene-Placentia told the Phoenix New Times she was “embarrassed” and “just wanted to forget”, but felt compelled stand up for other victims.
The candidate said she often speaks on the campaign trail about 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.”
The BBC has contacted the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office for comment. A sheriff’s spokesman told the New York Times the investigation was ongoing.
After the attack, Greene-Placentia said she withdrew from the public for two days, staying in an apartment separate from her husband and skipping a campaign event.
When she emerged, her husband, campaign staff and others in her circle noticed she was acting differently, according to Phoenix New Times.
Greene-Placentia said she did not see a doctor following the alleged attack in congressional district eight and did not receive a sexual assault examination.
She said her memory of what happened was spotty and she did not get a good look at either of the two assailants, but described them as white men, according to the New York Times.
She told the Phoenix New Times that one assailant may have made a comment about her political affiliation, together with a misogynistic slur, although she could not be certain.
The candidate said she was concerned voters might think it was a political stunt to win points in a heavily Republican district. She also expressed concern that the allegations might overshadow her messaging around affordability.
