Woman in alleged Cornell gang-rape case was ‘failed’ by system, New York governor says

New York Governor Kathy Hochul pledged on Friday to close a legal loophole that allows offenders to avoid rape charges when victims are willingly intoxicated. This pledge comes in the wake of an alleged gang rape at Cornell University, where seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity are accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a female student in 2024.

The case has sparked outrage in the United States, leading Governor Hochul to appoint state Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor. Cornell University has since closed the fraternity involved and temporarily suspended the accused students, some of whom were later expelled.

The alleged victim claims she was drugged with ketamine and assaulted by the group of men at a fraternity house. She provided explicit details about the incident to police, expressing her complete confidence in her rape allegations. Governor Hochul criticized the initial investigation, stating that the police should have elevated the charges to the district attorney based on her confident testimony.

Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat with a history of conflict with President Donald Trump, vowed to review the facts, gather evidence, and interview witnesses if warranted. She emphasized that no public official should ignore the breakdown of the system when it fails young people. As governor, Governor Hochul stated she will not allow this case to be swept under the rug.