NY governor says Cornell rape accuser was ‘failed’ by people obligated to protect her

New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated that the alleged rape victim at Cornell University was "failed" by individuals with the duty to protect her, such as law enforcement and the county prosecutor. Hochul made this assertion during a news conference where she outlined her decision to assign the case to special prosecutor, Attorney General Letitia James.

She attributed this decision to her growing doubts about how the authorities had treated the victim's claims, emphasizing that the district attorney had failed to interview the victim or other individuals involved in the alleged attack. Hochul expressed her outrage at the Cornell University Police Department for not effectively communicating the woman's account to prosecutors.

Although the victim had reported the incident to the police and spoken at length to them, the information provided by the victim did not appear in the document sent to prosecutors. In 2024, the investigation into the alleged rape was initially closed without charges, but the woman subsequently filed a lawsuit, leading to the reopening of the investigation by Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten.

Governor Hochul appointed James to oversee the case due to her lack of confidence in the local district attorney's ability to manage it.