Prosecutors reopen Cornell gang rape case after civil lawsuit

New York state prosecutors have reopened an investigation into an alleged gang rape at a Cornell University fraternity house in 2024, Dawn reported. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten confirmed his office will present the case against seven alleged perpetrators to a grand jury.

Van Houten said the reason charges were not pursued in 2024 was that the allegations in a recent civil lawsuit differed from the alleged victim's original account. He said her 2024 statement to campus police described her actions as "voluntary, conscious and consensual".

The alleged victim's lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, told CNN the police report was "not materially different" from the lawsuit's claims. He criticised the district attorney's office for not conducting a more thorough investigation sooner, according to Dawn.