Investigation into alleged gang rape at Cornell University reopened by prosecutors

New York state prosecutors have reopened an investigation into the alleged gang rape of a woman at a Cornell University fraternity house two years ago.

The woman, who was a 20-year-old student at the time, filed a civil lawsuit earlier this month alleging she was sexually assaulted, raped and plied with drugs by seven Chi Phi fraternity members in October 2024.

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said in a statement on Monday that his office would present the case against seven ​alleged perpetrators to a grand jury for a possible indictment.

"Once we determine the appropriate charges, the case will be prosecuted in the most objective and impartial means available," he said in a statement.

He went on: "While I generally refrain from commenting publicly on criminal investigations, the community outrage stemming from the incomplete news and social media coverage requires that I provide an answer to why the investigation resulted in a lack of criminal charges."

Defending his office's decision not to seek criminal charges at the time, he said the accuser - referred to in court documents as Jane Doe - did not make any claims of being gang-raped or drugged in her initial sworn statement to authorities.

The prosecutor also said he was never contacted by the woman's lawyer about her statement or about reconsidering the decision not to prosecute.

"Seeking justice sometimes requires us to reconsider or reopen cases when we are provided with additional evidence," Mr Van Houten said.

"I have been asked by the community to revisit the decision whether to pursue criminal charges against the seven fraternity members. I have already begun that process, starting with our conversation with Jane Doe and her attorneys."

The woman's lawyer Thomas Giuffra said that in the days following the assault, his client was "traumatised, numb and unable to function or accept the horror of what had happened".

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She went to Cornell University Police Department "once she was emotionally ready", because she believed she was the victim of a crime, but "she was never spoken with by anyone other than the officer who took her original complaint", he told Sky's US partner network NBC News.

The woman's lawsuit accuses the university of not preventing the alleged assaults, and failing to properly address sexual violence on campus.

She alleges in her complaint that she was "plied with alcohol and drugs to the point of intoxication" by fraternity members, leaving her unable to consent before she was sexually assaulted.

Members of the fraternity used a Snapchat group chat to encourage others to join in, according to the lawsuit, which included a photo of some messages as well as details about the alleged assault itself.

According to the lawsuit, the accused were given "the opportunity to mitigate their conduct by submitting essays to Cornell".

Cornell University, based in Ithica, New York, said in a statement that it supported the decision to reopen the investigation.

It said that it had conducted ​its own investigation into the allegations at the time, and issued "a range of sanctions, which included expulsions and suspensions from Cornell".

"Any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential ​punishments for those involved is false," it said.

The Chi Phi chapter was closed in 2024, and remains barred from campus, it added.

Fraternities in the US ​are college-based clubs for male students, often sharing a house together.

Jeremy Saland, a lawyer who represents one of the men named in the lawsuit, denied the allegations.

In a statement, he said his client had done nothing more than respond ⁠to the chat with an immature comment.

He added his client "welcomes any further investigation by the district attorney".

The case has drawn national and international attention. Celebrities, including British actress Florence Pugh and US Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have spoken out about it.

(c) Sky News 2026: Investigation into alleged gang rape at Cornell University reopened by prosecutors