USA · updated 2h ago · 2 min read
Kathy Hochul Says Cornell Rape Accuser Was Failed; Letitia James Appointed Special Prosecutor
Letitia James appointed special prosecutor to oversee Cornell rape case, per Hochul. Jane Doe alleges drugged, gang-rape at Cornell Chi Phi fraternity in 2024.
Whether to lead with Cornell’s defended response or state intervention.
7 of 8 outlets skipped it: a Snapchat message advertised "free" sex upstairs.
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BBC
“District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, who previously led the investigation, has defended his office's previous decision not to file charges”Read the original ↗
Some outlets adopt Hochul’s “failed” narrative; others emphasise the DA’s defended legal threshold.
Special prosecutor appointed
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the Cornell rape accuser was "failed" by people obligated to protect her, including police and the prosecutor, as she introduced New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor. Letitia James told a packed news conference at the governor's office that this is now "an active criminal investigation," and she pledged a full and fair investigation.
Hochul said Cornell University's police and the Tompkins County District Attorney failed to pass along information, and she said sending a "partial record" to the district attorney was a failure. Hochul also said she was "deeply disturbed" by Cornell University's police and how they handled this, before she called for a change in the state law around voluntary intoxication in cases of sexual assault.
Law, consent, and outrage
Hochul said she would close a "loophole" that prevents prosecutors from pursuing rape charges when the victim has voluntarily consumed drugs or alcohol, and she said lawmakers must address this part of the law as soon as possible. Hochul argued, "Voluntary intoxication is not a licence for gang rape," and she said, "If someone is too intoxicated to consent it should not matter if they chose to use drugs or alcohol."
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten defended his office's previous decision not to file charges, saying the information released in recent weeks about the case was not passed to his office. Cornell University supported Hochul's decision to remove the DA from the case and assign it to James, and a spokesperson said the university was committed to an independent external review of all aspects of how Cornell has handled this case.
What documents show
CBS News reported that Jane Doe, the unnamed woman at the center of the allegations, said she drank vodka until she was intoxicated at a sorority house on the night of Oct. 19, 2024, and she said she was served more alcohol at a bar in downtown Ithaca, New York.
CBS News said Jane Doe told police that by 1:42 a.m. on Oct. 20, one of the defendants sent a message in the fraternity chapter's saying there was a woman upstairs for "free" sex, according to a screengrab included in the lawsuit.
NBC News reported that Jane Doe texted another fraternity member, "My reputation is destroyed and i’m utterly ashamed," four days after she alleges she was raped while she was under the influence of ketamine, marijuana and alcohol.
The New York Times said the defendants in the Cornell sexual assault lawsuit gave different versions of that night, and it reported that all of the men she accused denied having engaged in any improper conduct.