New York appoints special prosecutor to review Cornell rape allegations

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has criticised the handling of allegations that a woman was raped at Cornell University in 2024 and appointed Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to investigate. Hochul said on Friday that she was deeply disturbed by the way police and prosecutors had handled the case. The governor made the comments at a press conference with James, whom she appointed the previous night.

The case returned to public attention after the alleged victim filed a lawsuit accusing fraternity members of raping her while she was intoxicated. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said on Monday that his office was reopening its investigation, which will now be overseen by James’ office. Van Houten had defended the earlier decision not to bring charges, saying the woman’s sworn statement to police did not contain allegations that met the threshold for a crime under state law.

The supplied material says New York law makes prosecution more difficult when a victim voluntarily became intoxicated. Reports have said the woman told police clearly that she had been raped, but that investigators did not include the allegation in the sworn statement sent to prosecutors. Hochul questioned why Cornell police had omitted it and why the district attorney’s office had not interviewed the woman or reviewed the full transcript of her police interview.

Van Houten said he supported James’ appointment and would cooperate. He added that his office had not been given the full picture by the university and said the focus should remain on victims. Cornell said it supported the appointment and was committed to an independent external review of how the case had been handled.

The woman’s lawyer also endorsed the decision, saying he had little confidence in the local prosecution’s handling of the matter. Hochul said she would work with the state legislature to change sexual-assault laws. She supports removing the distinction between victims who voluntarily consumed intoxicants and those who were given substances without consent, arguing that the relevant issue should be whether the person was too intoxicated to consent.