Woman at centre of Cornell rape inquiry was 'failed' by officials, says New York governor

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the woman at the centre of the Cornell University rape inquiry was “failed” at “every turn.” The individual, identified in court filings as Jane Doe, alleges she was drugged and raped by several men at a fraternity house in 2024. Although investigators examined the claims at the time, no criminal charges were filed. The matter resurfaced after Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit last period, thrusting the allegations into the national spotlight. Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Hochul said she was “deeply disturbed” by how the investigation had been handled. She announced that she had appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James to lead the review, explaining that she had “lost faith” in the local prosecutor’s ability to oversee the case. Hochul expressed outrage that county prosecutors had not interviewed the accuser themselves, stating that Doe was “failed by people and institutions with a duty to support her.” She also pledged to close a “loophole” that bars prosecutors from pursuing rape charges when the victim has voluntarily consumed drugs or alcohol. “If someone is too intoxicated to consent it should not matter if they chose to use drugs or alcohol,” Hochul said, adding, “Voluntary intoxication is not a licence for gang rape.” Attorney General James stood beside Hochul at the briefing, vowing to “lead a process guided by the facts and the law.” She said her office would interview witnesses and pursue charges where warranted. District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, who previously directed the investigation, defended his office’s earlier decision not to file charges, arguing that investigators had not received sufficient evidence to meet the legal threshold. Van Houten added that much of the allegation released in recent weeks concerning the lawsuit had not been forwarded to his office. Cornell University said it had supplied evidence to the district attorney’s office from its own inquiry, including a Snapchat group chat in which fraternity members discussed a “free” sexual encounter with Doe on the night of the alleged assault.