Cornell University fraternity rape case reopened after nationwide outcry
A district attorney in New York has reopened a criminal investigation into an alleged gang rape at Cornell University's Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024.
Cornell gang-rape investigation reopened after two years of inaction
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced Monday that he is reopening the criminal investigation into an alleged sexual assault at the Chi Phi fraternity house on the Cornell University campus, following a wave of nationwide outrage. As NBC News reports, Van Houten has asked a senior prosecutor to prepare the case for a grand jury, a process he expects to take approximately 45 days.
The case centres on a civil lawsuit filed earlier this month by a former Cornell student identified as Jane Doe. She alleges that on the evening of 19 October 2024, and into the early hours of 20 October, seven Chi Phi fraternity brothers sexually assaulted and raped her at the on-campus house, and that she was plied with drugs during the incident. Despite the severity of the allegations, no criminal charges were brought at the time. The Chi Phi chapter was subsequently barred from campus, and some of the students involved were permitted to "mitigate their conduct" by writing essays to the university.
Van Houten defended his office's earlier decision not to pursue charges, stating that a November 2024 statement from Doe did not allege gang rape or involuntary drugging. "On the contrary, Jane Doe's statement described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual," he wrote. He added that Doe's attorneys had not contacted his office before filing the civil lawsuit.
Speaking to NBC News on Monday, Van Houten did not distance himself from the moral weight of the allegations. "It was disgusting, and that emotion that you feel, seeing and hearing what happened, even hearing what happened as described by Jane Doe's statement, it provokes feelings of disgust and distaste," he said. He added, however, that moral revulsion alone is insufficient for criminal prosecution. "If there is evidence out there, including new evidence, that is enough to prosecute these individuals, then we will do that. We will do it zealously."
The grand jury will be able to hear Jane Doe's testimony alongside any new evidence introduced through the civil complaint.
Van Houten also addressed the broader media coverage, noting that "incomplete news and social media coverage" had made a public statement necessary. He said it was not the role of his office to run parallel investigations alongside police, explaining that police investigate crimes while his office prosecutes them. NBC News contacted the Ithaca Police Department for comment on its involvement but received no immediate response. According to the civil lawsuit, the Ithaca Police Department is actively investigating the allegations. Cornell Police referred NBC News to prior statements issued by the university.
Thomas P. Giuffra, the attorney representing Jane Doe, described his client in the days following the assault as "traumatised, numb and unable to function or accept the horror of what had happened." He told NBC News that Doe, who has since left Cornell, is "just trying to hang on."
Giuffra said Doe went to the Cornell University Police Department "once she was emotionally ready" because she believed she had been the victim of a crime, but that "she was never spoken with by anyone other than the officer who took her original complaint." He argued that additional interviews could have generated leads and further evidence, pointing specifically to a group chat shared anonymously with his client. A screenshot of the chat, included in the lawsuit, contains a comment from a fraternity member referring to "free p---" available upstairs where Jane Doe was located at the time. "This thread was a valuable starting point to identify witnesses and possibly other assailants," Giuffra said. "However, it was never followed up on."
In a written statement released Monday, Jane Doe said: "What I experienced from those who raped me in the fraternity was the worst experience of my life. I was brutalized and it injured me physically but perhaps more importantly, emotionally. It affects every aspect of my life. It will haunt me and be part of me the rest of my life."
The lawsuit names seven members of Chi Phi. One of the accused, Scott Kretzschmar, has strongly denied the allegations through his attorney, Jeremy Saland. "The lawsuit against Scott Kretzschmar is not only intentionally dishonest but morally repugnant," Saland said in a statement. "While Scott responded to and made an immature comment on Snapchat, he did nothing else. Nothing." Saland added that his client welcomed the new investigation. NBC News attempted to reach the other six named individuals but received no immediate response.
Giuffra described the decision to reopen the case as a step in the right direction, "albeit a late one."
Cornell University said Monday it supports Van Houten's decision to bring the matter before a criminal grand jury. The university pushed back on suggestions that those involved faced few consequences, though the statement was cut short in available reporting. The fraternity chapter remains barred from campus.
Source: Google News MT