It was just after 2 a.m. on a pitch-black Friday morning when Bernadette Greene-Placentia’s life changed. The Democratic candidate for Congressional District 8 strolled across a parking lot to repair a damaged campaign sign. It was a routine she’d followed all summer. This time, she only made it a few yards.
An attacker smashed her over the head. She blacked out. She woke up to find a strange man on top of her.
Greene-Placentia struggled to open her eyes. She felt a sharp pain below her waist. The attacker was pulling his penis out of her.
She heard him mumble something like, “-ic bitch, not a very good fuck,” which her mind filled in as “Democratic bitch,” she recalled. She wasn’t sure that was exactly what he said.
One leg was out of her jean capris. She wore brand-new tennis shoes and a campaign t-shirt. Another man came over. Greene-Placentia felt his weight nudging her left leg further apart. She began swinging her foot at him. “Not even worth it,” she heard the man say as he moved away. He wore black boots and had small feet, she recalled.
The two men left Greene-Placentia face down in the parking lot. The hatch of her silver Jeep Grand Cherokee was still open. The car was still running. She heard music.
She doesn’t remember pulling up her pants or picking herself off the asphalt parking lot. She doesn’t remember closing her Jeep’s hatch and putting her foot on the gas. She doesn’t remember pulling her car into the driveway and collapsing into her bed.
“It’s just these little tiny flashes of things that I do remember,” Greene-Placentia said in an interview with Phoenix New Times. “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 thing I’m trying to understand about this is why the hell is she out at 2:00 in the morning fixing signs. Regardless if it’s a billion degrees in Arizona or not. I don’t do shit at 2:00 in the morning because the world is fucked up. I wish more women would go after rapists. The DNA swap might prevent him from doing it to other women.
Because she fucking wanted to. She can go out, wherever, whenever, however the fuck she wants and not have to fear getting raped.
That clear for you, you fuckwit?
Can we not victim blame?
It’s wrong, regardless of what conditions it occurred under. Not only that, but she had been doing this all summer long without any problems. The two men who did this were aware of her schedule and habits, they had likely been stalking her for who knows how long prior to this, which means they would have done this in broad daylight too if they thought they’d have a chance at it.
It wouldn’t matter if she was buck naked in the middle of Octoberfest no one has the right to touch anyone without their consent.
Agreed, but we live in a sick world… I don’t ride my bike after midnight anymore even though I really loved my night rides. People on the trails take over after 11 and I had a few try to mug me.
I’m 6’5" so once they saw that they backed off… Scared the fuck out of me.
The world sucks sometimes… And statistically this is less likely to happen in the daytime
You realize people still live their lives at 2am. People are working, shopping, doing all the stuff 24 hours a day.
Sometimes that’s when you have the spare time to do it. It’s still not her fucking fault.