New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the woman at the center of the Cornell University rape case was “failed” in “every aspect.” The woman, known as Jane Doe in legal documents, alleges she was drugged and raped by several men at a fraternity in 2024. The case was investigated at the time but no charges were filed. It recently reopened after the woman filed a civil lawsuit last month that put the allegations in the national spotlight. At a news conference Friday, Hochul said she was “deeply disturbed” by how the investigation was handled. He has now appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James to lead the case. This appointment was made after Hochul said he “lost faith” in the local prosecutor’s ability to oversee the investigation. Expressing outrage that local prosecutors did not interview the accuser, Hochul said Friday: “This young woman had already endured something that is absolutely unspeakable, and then at every turn, people and institutions failed her in their obligation to protect her.” cases in which the victim has voluntarily consumed drugs or alcohol. Jane Doe is believed to have voluntarily consumed drugs and alcohol on the night of the alleged gang rape. “If someone is too intoxicated to consent, it shouldn’t matter whether they choose to use drugs or alcohol,” Hochul said, adding, “Voluntary intoxication is not a license for gang rape.” James, who is the state’s top legal official, appeared alongside Hochul at Friday’s news conference, promising to “lead a process guided by the facts and the law.” He said his office would interview witnesses and carry out prosecutions if warranted. District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, who previously led the investigation, defended his office’s earlier decision not to file charges in the case, arguing that they were not provided with enough evidence to meet the legal threshold. Van Houten said much of the information released in recent weeks about the case was not relayed to his office. Cornell has said he provided evidence to the district attorney’s office from his own investigation, including a Snapchat group chat in which fraternity members discussed a “free” sexual relationship. encounter with Doe the night of the alleged assault.
