Rabia Iclal Turan
02 October 2026•Update: 02 October 2026
New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor in a Cornell University sexual assault case.
A woman reported in 2024 that she was gang-raped at a Cornell fraternity house and accused campus police and local prosecutors of failing her.
“This young woman had already endured something that is utterly unspeakable. And then, at every turn, she was failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her,” Hochul told a news conference alongside James.
Citing new reports, Hochul said the woman told Cornell police she was “100% confident that she had been raped,” but “those words never made it into the account that the Cornell police sent to prosecutors.”
She said prosecutors declined to pursue charges after reviewing “that incomplete account” and without interviewing the woman.
“That is why I’m invoking the power conferred to me as the governor of the state of New York to enlist Attorney General James as an independent special prosecutor in this case,” Hochul said.
“And if the evidence supports criminal charges, she will pursue them,” she added.
James said her office would review the facts, gather evidence and interview witnesses, pursuing prosecutions if warranted.
