State Sen. Amanda Chase calls rape victims “naive and unprepared”

State Sen. Amanda Chase (R-Midlothian) is once again facing significant criticism, this time for writing on Facebook that people who are “naive and unprepared end up raped.”

The statement came during a back-and-forth exchange with a constituent who commented on Chase’s post about Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney’s pre-emptive push to limit weapons in city buildings and parks. 

The constituent asked why it would be important to have a gun in a public park. Chase said it was important for law-abiding citizens to be able to be able to protect themselves in a public park and cited a park near her as being deep in the woods with a winding trail. A commenter called Chase paranoid, and she then responded by saying “It’s those who are naive and unprepared that end of (sic) raped. Sorry. But I’m not going to be a statistic.”

The backlash was immediate. Chase’s opponent, Amanda Pohl, called on her to apologize. 

Chase has opted not to apologize and instead posted a video on Facebook on the Fourth of July, in which she blamed “leftist trolls” for the backlash. 

Chase, a staunch opponent of gun safety legislation, said she was championing the Second Amendment and reiterated her opposition to gun safety reform ahead of this week’s special session.

She also called herself a champion for women, prompting critics to point out that she did not support the Equal Rights Amendment, which would have provided women with constitutional legal protections against discrimination on the basis of their sex.

This marks just the latest in a string of controversies for Chase as she seeks re-election. In March, Chase denied she got into an altercation with a Capitol Police Officer, before later admitting that it was true and that she cursed and lost her cool.

Then in May, it was revealed that she used the Capitol Police for transportation so often during session that the Police Chief asked House and Senate clerks to remind legislators that this was against protocol. This prompted Chesterfield Sheriff Karl Leonard to withdraw his support for her.