New York Governor Kathy Hochul has heavily criticised the way campus police handled an allegation of a gang-rape by students at the state's private Cornell University.
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police → criticise → University
Ms Hochul also wants laws changed so rape victims who get drunk or use drugs are not denied justice.
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who → want → justice
New York's attorney general says the case will be reinvestigated and prosecutions may be pursued.
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prosecutions → say → ?
New York's state governor says she is "deeply disturbed" by how police handled an allegation of gang-rape at a prestigious university fraternity, in a case that continues to generate international outrage.
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that → say → outrage
Governor Kathy Hochul said the woman who accused a group of Cornell University students of rape had been "failed" at "every turn" after going to campus police in 2024.
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who → say → 2024
"I'm deeply disturbed at Cornell University's police and how they handled this," Ms Hochul told a press conference, a day after she directed the state's attorney general to take over the case from local prosecutors.
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she → disturb → prosecutors
According to investigation records obtained by the New York Times, the woman told a police officer: "I can say with 100 per cent confidence I was raped."
But that statement was left out of an official police report that was sent to prosecutors, who ultimately dropped the case.
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who → accord → case
"Think about that," Ms Hochul said.
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Hochul → think → that
"In what world would the police learn from a victim that she had been literally gang-raped while intoxicated by five men in a fraternity house, and not elevate those allegations to the district attorney?
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she → learn → attorney
"This young woman had already endured something that is utterly unspeakable and that at every turn she has failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her."
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she → endure → her
The case attracted global attention after the woman filed a civil lawsuit last month.
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woman → attract → lawsuit
It said she was raped at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024 after she was pressured into snorting ketamine, smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol to the point of incapacitation.
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she → say → incapacitation
Governor vows to close intoxication 'loophole'
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Governor → vow → loophole
Ms Hochul also said she was committed to closing a legal "loophole" that made it difficult to prosecute rape cases when an alleged victim was "voluntarily" intoxicated.
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victim → say → cases
"If someone is too intoxicated to consent, it should not matter if they chose to use drugs or alcohol," she said.
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she → consent → drugs
New York Attorney General Letitia James has now assumed responsibility for the case and confirmed it was once again the subject of an "active criminal investigation".
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it → assume → investigation
"We will review the facts, gather evidence, interview witnesses, and, if warranted, pursue prosecutions,"she said.
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We → review → prosecutions,"she
"A comprehensive investigation of this nature takes time, but my office is committed to seeing it through."
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office → take → it
Earlier this week, local District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said he would reopen the investigation.
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he → say → investigation
He had defended the earlier decision not to pursue charges, saying the information seen by his office did not contain criminal allegations.
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information → defend → allegations
"It has become clear that we were not provided the full picture by the university," he said in a statement after today's press conference.
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he → become → conference
"The focus has been and should continue to be on the victims."
Cornell is an Ivy League university in Ithaca, in the Finger Lakes region of New York state.
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Cornell → continue → state
It has defended its handling of the case, saying it conducted its own thorough investigation, which led to expulsions and suspensions.
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which → defend → expulsions
After Ms Hochul's intervention, the university said it was "committed to an independent external review of all aspects of how Cornell has handled this case".
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Cornell → say → case
Ms James — who, like Ms Hochul, is a Democrat — was elected as New York's attorney general in 2018.
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who → elect → 2018
She has a national profile in the US after she successfully sued Donald Trump and his business for fraud in 2022.
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she → have → 2022
She is a frequent target of Mr Trump and Republicans, and she is among Trump critics who have been charged with criminal offences by the Department of Justice since his return to the presidency.
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who → charge → presidency
In her case, she was accused of mortgage fraud — a charge she labelled "baseless" and which a judge later dismissed.
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judge → accuse → which
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