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Woman at centre of Cornell rape inquiry was 'failed' by officials, says New York governor - Published New York Governor Kathy Hochul has said the woman at the centre of the Cornell University rape case was "failed" at "every turn". The woman, known as Jane Doe in legal documents, alleges she was drugged and raped by several men at a fraternity house in 2024. The case was investigated at the time but no charges were laid. It recently reopened after the woman filed a civil lawsuit last month that thrust the allegations into the national spotlight. At a news conference on Friday, Hochul said she was "deeply disturbed" by how the investigation was handled. She has now appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James to lead the case. This appointment was made after Hochul said she "lost faith" in the local prosecutor's ability to oversee the investigation. Expressing outrage that local prosecutors did not interview the accuser themselves, Hochul on Friday said: "This young woman had already endured something that is utterly unspeakable, and then at every turn she was failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her." She has also vowed to close a "loophole" that prevents prosecutors from pursuing rape charges in cases when the victim has voluntarily consumed drugs or alcohol. Jane Doe is believed to have voluntarily taken drugs and alcohol on the night of the alleged gang rape. "If someone is too intoxicated to consent it should not matter if they chose to use drugs or alcohol," said Hochul, adding: "Voluntary intoxication is not a licence for gang rape." James, who is the state's chief legal officer, appeared alongside Hochul at Friday's news conference, pledging to "lead a process guided by the facts and the law". She said her office would interview witnesses and pursue prosecutions if warranted. District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, who previously led the investigation, has defended his office's previous decision not to file charges in the case, arguing they were not given enough evidence to meet the legal threshold. Van Houten said much of the information released in recent weeks about the case was not passed to his office. In a statement on Friday, he said he supported James' investigation, adding: "It has become clear that we were not provided the full picture by the university." Cornell has said it provided evidence to the district attorney's office from its own investigation, including a Snapchat group chat in which fraternity members discussed a "free" sexual encounter with Doe on the night of the alleged assault. Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit against the Ivy League university in September. Speaking to CNN on Friday, her lawyer Thomas Giuffra said she is "not doing well". "She's under siege on social media, where people are trying to identify her; some false court postings, attempting to identify her," he said. Survivor and victim advocates say current state law on sexual assault makes it difficult for charges to be brought against perpetrators if the victim voluntarily took drugs or drank alcohol before the alleged assault took place. A bill to address what Hochul described as a legal loophole was already before the state legislature prior to this week's public outcry over how police and investigators handled the Cornell rape allegations. People who have voluntarily become intoxicated to the point that they are unable to give consent are currently not protected by New York's rape laws, says state assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, who first sponsored legislation to close the loophole in 2019. "The real bottom line is that right now if you are voluntarily intoxicated, you will not get justice," he tells BBC News. "Being voluntarily intoxicated, basically, is almost like giving somebody a get out of jail free card." Dinowitz says that around half of US states have already changed their laws to say it makes no difference whether intoxication is voluntarily or involuntarily in rape cases. Hochul said she will support the existing bill and that it could move forward as early as the next legislative session which reconvenes in January. As governor, she could also call lawmakers back for a special session before then. Related topics - Published16 hours ago - Published3 hours ago - Published23 hours ago
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