County prosecutors in central New York are moving to reopen a stalled investigation into an alleged 2024 gang rape at Cornell University after a recent civil lawsuit reignited public outrage over the case.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten confirmed that his office is reassessing whether criminal charges are warranted, even as he stressed that the allegations in the new civil complaint are dramatically different from the womans original statement to police two years ago, according to Just The News. We want to reexamine whether there's additional evidence that we were not aware of in November of 2024, that exists now that would change our assessment of the case and would result in the grand jury finding that there was criminal conduct," Van Houten said in a statement.
The accuser, a former Cornell student identified as Jane Doe, filed a civil suit two weeks ago alleging she was drugged, assaulted and gang raped by seven members of the universitys Chi Phi fraternity. Cornells Chi Phi chapter was subsequently banned from campus after the alleged incident, though none of the individuals named in the complaint have faced criminal charges, according to Van Houten.
The initial complaint indicates that the seven students received temporary suspensions from the university. Cornell, however, disputes claims that the school allowed the students to mitigate their conduct by submitting essays, insisting those assertions are incorrect.
Van Houten maintains that his office originally declined to prosecute because the womans statement to authorities did not allege she was drugged or that she withheld consent to sexual activity. He further noted that she admitted to voluntarily consuming drugs and alcohol and did not allege being forced to engage in any acts, did not say she was physically helpless or unconscious or incapacitated at any point during the time at the fraternity house.
Jane Does attorney, however, rejects Van Houtens characterization of her initial account to Cornell University police and criticizes law enforcement for failing to properly follow up with his client. Van Houten told ABC News that his office relied on the Cornell police investigation and did not conduct an independent probe, adding that such reliance on campus or local police is standard practice in many upstate New York counties.
A disputed group chat among fraternity members has emerged as a central point of contention in the revived case. Jane Does attorney, Giuffra, said the messages are a critical piece of evidence that were provided to authorities in 2024, raising fresh questions about why a more aggressive criminal inquiry was not pursued at the time.
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