New York’s governor vows to close rape law loophole after Cornell case
Kathy Hochul pledged to close a legal loophole making rape cases harder to prosecute when victims were intoxicated, amid an uproar over an alleged gang rape at Cornell University.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has pledged to eliminate a legal loophole that complicates the prosecution of rape cases when victims have willingly consumed alcohol, following a scandal at Cornell University. The governor announced on Friday that Attorney General Letitia James will serve as a special prosecutor in the reopened Cornell case.
The accuser in the alleged 2024 gang rape incident at the Ivy League school filed a civil lawsuit, alleging she was drugged, assaulted, and raped by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity. Governor Hochul emphasized that voluntary intoxication should not be a justification for sexual assault or gang rape. She vowed to work with the New York state legislature to close the loophole.
Several US states, including New York, have laws that make it more challenging for prosecutors to bring charges in cases involving consensual sex with someone who has voluntarily become intoxicated. Cornell's initial investigation into the complainant's claims drew widespread criticism, with the governor stating that the police failed to elevate the allegations to the district attorney despite the victim's clear testimony of being gang-raped while intoxicated.
Cornell shut down the fraternity and temporarily suspended the students involved, several of whom were later expelled.
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