US prosecutors reopen Cornell University rape case after public outcry, seven men face charges

US prosecutors have reopened an investigation into an alleged gang rape at Cornell University following public outcry and a civil lawsuit alleging the university failed to properly punish those involved. The victim claimed she was drugged with ketamine, assaulted, and raped by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity in 2024. Cornell closed the fraternity, suspended the students temporarily, and some were later expelled.

District Attorney Matthew Van Houten plans to file criminal charges against the seven men, reversing his decision in 2024 when the victim's testimony did not establish a lack of consent. Cornell's vice president of university relations, Kyle Kimball, rejected claims the suspects received lenient sentences, stating the university imposed consequential punishments.

The civil lawsuit detailing the alleged assault includes a screenshot of a Snapchat group message advertising "free p*ssy" during the incident, with the victim seeking financial damages from Cornell and the seven suspects. British actress Florence Pugh and Democratic lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez voiced their outrage over the case, with Pugh criticizing the culture of rape at elite institutions and Ocasio-Cortez condemning the "culture of rape" at elite institutions like Cornell, stating that the victim had to lose her education and the men were rewarded with Ivy League degrees.