A transcript of an interview between campus police and the alleged victim in the 2024 Cornell University fraternity rape case reveals that she stated with certainty she was assaulted, according to CBS News New York.
The exclusive document, obtained by investigative reporter Mahsa Saeidi, captures the interview conducted on November 14 and 15, more than three weeks after the alleged incident. Throughout the questioning, Jane Doe described being intoxicated and experiencing memory gaps. However, she explicitly told investigators, “I can say with 100% confidence I was raped.”
During the session, Jane Doe recounted that while she may have consented to initial contact while drunk, she was physically struck during subsequent encounters. When pressed by the investigator on whether she had verbally refused or simply claimed exhaustion, she clarified that her compliance was due to coercion and that she was “completely and totally incapacitated.”
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten stated that his office decided not to file charges based on Jane Doe’s signed written statement. However, he revealed that he had never viewed the transcript of the police interview prior to making that decision.
“That wasn’t information that I had,” Van Houten told Saeidi. “If she had said those words, we certainly would want to have explored that more.”
The DA expressed surprise at the contents of the transcript, noting, “Nobody knows this information about the transcript and that gives me something to really dig into because that changes the landscape for me.” He confirmed he will seek the document and follow up with Cornell Police.
Thomas Giuffra, the attorney for Jane Doe, criticized the District Attorney’s office. “The failure to do anything is shocking,” Giuffra said, pointing to the victim’s statement and text messages from a group chat inviting sexual assaults as sufficient grounds for prosecution. He added that neither he nor his client have confidence in Van Houten’s ability to handle the case.
Cornell University previously conducted its own internal investigation, resulting in expulsions and suspensions. While the university stated it provided police results to the DA, the criminal probe has been reopened by prosecutors.
CBS News New York has not reviewed Jane Doe’s final six-page written statement and has not received a response from the university. Attorneys for two defendants named in the lawsuit continue to deny the allegations.
https://prod.vodvideo.cbsnews.com/cbsnews/vr/hls/4858166_hls/master.m3u8
It’s concerning that the university claims they shared results but the DA had no knowledge of the transcript.
Thirty-three days later for the interview seems like an eternity in these cases.
I hope this reopened investigation leads to actual accountability this time around.
The group chat details are absolutely chilling. This goes beyond just one incident.
How could the DA never see this transcript before making such a critical decision? That’s a major oversight.