Woman at centre of Cornell rape inquiry was 'failed' by officials, says New York governor

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has remarked the woman at the centre of the Cornell University rape case was "failed" at "every turn".

Key points

• The woman, known as Jane Doe in legal documents, alleges she was drugged and raped by a number of men at a fraternity house in 2024.
• James appeared alongside Hochul at Friday's news conference, pledging to "lead a process guided by the facts and the law".
• At a news conference on Friday, Hochul remarked she was "deeply disturbed" by how the investigation was handled.
• This appointment was created after Hochul stated she "lost faith" in the local prosecutor's ability to oversee the investigation.
• Expressing outrage that local prosecutors did not interview the accuser themselves, Hochul on Friday remarked Doe was "failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her".

Notably, the woman, known as Jane Doe in legal documents, alleges she was drugged and raped by a number of men at a fraternity house in 2024.

Meanwhile, the case was investigated at the time but no charges were laid. It lately reopened after the woman filed a civil lawsuit last month that thrust the allegations into the national spotlight.

At a news conference on Friday, Hochul remarked she was "deeply disturbed" by how the investigation was handled. She has now appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James to lead it.

She has additionally vowed to close a "loophole" that prevents prosecutors from pursuing rape charges in cases when the victim has voluntarily consumed drugs or alcohol.

"If someone is too intoxicated to consent it should not matter if they chose to use drugs or alcohol, " remarked Hochul, adding: "Voluntary intoxication is not a licence for gang rape."

She remarked her office would interview witnesses and pursue prosecutions if warranted.

District Attorney Matthew Van Houten. This person previously led the investigation, has defended his office's previous decision not to file charges in the case, arguing they were not given enough evidence to meet the legal threshold.

Van Houten remarked much of the information issued in recent weeks regarding the case was not passed to his office.

Cornell has remarked it provided evidence to the district attorney's office from its own investigation, including a Snapchat group chat in which fraternity members discussed a "free" sexual encounter with Doe on the night of the alleged assault.

For now, woman at centre of Cornell rape inquiry was ' failed' by officials, says remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.