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World

New York prosecutors reopen 2024 Cornell gang-rape case for grand jury review

New York prosecutors will put the case against seven alleged perpetrators before a grand jury, after a civil lawsuit filed this month revived claims of a 2024 gang rape at a Cornell fraternity house.

By Sarah Whitfield · · 2 min read

New York state prosecutors have reopened an investigation into an alleged 2024 gang rape at a Cornell University fraternity house, with the case against seven alleged perpetrators to go before a grand jury for possible indictment, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten confirmed on Monday.

The revival follows a civil lawsuit filed on 16 September by the alleged victim, a former Cornell student identified as Jane Doe, who claims she was drugged and sexually assaulted by seven members of Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity in October 2024, and that members used a Snapchat group chat to invite others to join the assault, sharing a photo of the messages as part of the suit, CNN reported.

Van Houten said his office had decided in November 2024 not to bring criminal charges — a decision he called “legally correct” — because the woman’s statement to campus police at the time described her drug use and sexual conduct as “voluntary, conscious and consensual.” The grand jury will now consider her testimony and any new evidence raised by the civil complaint, he said.

The woman’s lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, told CNN the police report was “not materially different” from the lawsuit’s claims and criticised the district attorney’s office for not pursuing a more thorough investigation sooner.

Cornell said on 28 September it supported the decision to reopen the case, adding it had conducted a separate Title IX investigation with temporary suspensions and other restrictive measures. USA Today said the Chi Phi fraternity had not responded to a request for comment.

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