Hochul Takes Over Cornell Rape Investigation, Blasts 'Failure at Every Turn'

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Friday that the State Attorney General's office will take over the investigation into the alleged gang rape of a Cornell University student, expressing anger and frustration over how the case was handled.

Hochul stated that the accuser was "failed at every turn" by the institutions responsible for her protection. Her decision to remove Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten from the case and assign it to Attorney General Letitia James came after reports revealed significant discrepancies in the information provided to prosecutors.

"This young woman had already endured something that is utterly unspeakable," Hochul said at a press conference. "And then at every turn she was failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her."

Van Houten had previously stated that he decided not to prosecute the case in 2024 because the student's initial sworn statement to Cornell University police did not explicitly accuse the male students of rape. However, transcripts of the student's conversation with Cornell campus police and Title IX investigators, revealed this week, show her stating with "100% confidence" that she had been raped.

"Yet shockingly, those words never made it into the account, those words never made it to the account that the Cornell police sent to prosecutors," Hochul said.

The governor directed Attorney General James to assume control of the criminal investigation by executive order. The allegations have garnered national attention and raised questions about the handling of sexual assault cases within the university and local legal systems.

A student assembly addressing sexual violence was held at Cornell University amid the ongoing scrutiny of the case.