Cornell University fraternity reopens criminal investigation into sexual assault case

China News Service, October 30 (Xinhua) According to comprehensive US media reports, the US Attorney in New York State announced on the 28th that it has reopened a criminal investigation into a case filed by a woman against seven members of a fraternity organization at Cornell University who were suspected of drugging and gang-raping a girl.

Earlier, the victim filed a civil lawsuit against the school and the suspect. Public opinion questioned why the suspect had not been criminally charged, and Cornell University denied that "writing a paper was enough to avoid punishment."

Civil lawsuit raises questions about case investigation

On September 16, 2026, the woman filed a complaint with the New York State Supreme Court. She said that late at night on October 19, 2024, she was drunk and forced to take ketamine by members of the Qiffy Brotherhood, and was later sexually assaulted by multiple members of the brotherhood. The woman named the Ziffy fraternity and Cornell University as defendants, accusing the school of failing to adequately protect her and seeking damages.

The key evidence provided by the victim was a screenshot of the fraternity's group chat on social software at the time of the incident. The victim called police the following month, but no fraternity members were criminally charged at that time.

On the 28th, Matthew Van Houten, the district attorney of Tompkins County, where Cornell University is located, announced the resumption of criminal investigation. Prosecutors said the civil lawsuit sparked outrage. Prosecutors have been flooded with phone calls and emails in recent days, many of whom questioned why no criminal charges had been filed.

According to Van Houten, the woman did not say that she was drugged or gang-raped in her first testimony in 2024, which was significantly different from what she said in the civil lawsuit two years later. He said that now that new evidence has emerged, prosecutors have begun to reconsider whether to bring criminal charges against the seven Ziffy Brotherhood members.

Some people believe that this case exposed loopholes in New York State law regarding how to determine "sexual consent" under "mental incapacity"; others believe that there were deficiencies in the investigation by law enforcement agencies at that time.

Cornell University responds to on-campus disciplinary controversy

Cornell University was also questioned.

A Cornell student says there's a need to reexamine the school's original investigation and why the district attorney's office didn't do more. The victim's lawyer said that after the incident, the school only expelled two of the students, while giving lenient punishment to the other students. Punishment measures included suspension from school, attending seminars or completing written assignments.

In response, the school expressed support for the resumption of the criminal investigation, but refused to disclose the identities of the relevant personnel and details of the punishment, citing federal privacy protection laws. The school also stated that it had expelled or suspended the students involved, banned the fraternity from activities on campus, and denied that it had asked those involved to "write essays to avoid punishment."

In addition, Cornell University said it has taken further steps to address sexual violence.