Cornell will have to respond to governor's strong condemnationpublished at 15:45 BST

15:45 BST

Nada Tawfik
Reporting from Cornell University

This was a damning indictment from New York’s governor Kathy Hochul and leaves Cornell in an even more precarious position.

New York state's chief executive is not someone the university can avoid.

They will need to respond in some way to her strong condemnation that the school repeatedly failed the woman at the centre of the case, known anonymously as Jane Doe.

Hochul is directly questioning the information Cornell University's police gave to the local prosecutor, and Tompkins County district attorney, who decided not to pursue criminal charges. These are the same concerns raised by students.

If Cornell hoped this wouldn’t get worse, they were mistaken.

Image source, Reuters

At a brief news conference, two of New York's highest-ranking state officials promised to get to the bottom of a rape allegation at Cornell University and whether proper procedures were followed in the initial investigation in 2024.

Here's what we learned:

• Governor Kathy Hochul confirms she has appointed Letitia James, New York's attorney general, as a special independent prosecutor to investigate the case
• Hochul says she is "deeply disturbed" by how Cornell's campus police handled the investigation, including recent allegations that it sent over a partial transcript of an interview with the alleged victim to the county prosecutors who then decided not to pursue criminal charges
• She also expressed outrage that the local prosecutors did not interview the accuser themselves, adding that "at every turn", the woman, known anonymously as Jane Doe, was "failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her"
• The governor says she will back state legislation that would address what she called a "loophole" in sexual consent laws to make it clear that victims of sexual crimes can still receive justice even if they had voluntarily taken drugs or drank alcohol
• James, meanwhile, says she is ready to "lead a process guided by the facts and the law". Her office will interview witnesses and "if warranted pursue prosecutions"

The news conference ended without a clear sense of a timeline for the investigation and any potential charges.

Hochul and James are asked about the actions of the local district attorney and the handling of the investigation.

The governor says she does not "have enough information" and that it is "very early in the questioning".

Attorney General James says their investigation "will not be focusing on the actions of the district attorney" at this point in time.

The press conference then concludes - we'll bring you a recap of what was said shortly.

Hochul is asked what made her lose confidence in the local prosecutor's ability to investigate this case, leading her to appoint Attorney General James to take over.

"I'm deeply disturbed at Cornell University's police and how they handled this," she says, adding: "Them sending a partial record over...is, in my judgement, a failure. We'll have the attorney general and others find out if this was actually the case of what happened.

"But somebody knew more than they were letting people know and this is what shocks me so much."

Image source, Reuters

Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James are now taking questions from the media.

The first question is to Hochul about a social media post by James that appears to affirm the young woman's statements "as facts" - and why Hochul thought it appropriate to appoint her after that.

Hochul says she has "every confidence" in the attorney general to "look at the facts, examine the record and draw proper conclusions".

James says she "will not comment" on the post.

Next to speak is Letitia James, New York's attorney general, who has been appointed special prosecutor in the case.

James thanks Governor Hochul for her remarks and for entrusting her office with the investigation. "We do not take that responsibility lightly", she says.

James says her office will review the facts, gather evidence, interview witnesses and "if warranted" pursue prosecutions.

She cautions that a comprehensive investigation "takes time".

"I know that you want answers, I do too," she says, adding that this is now an active criminal investigation.

Image source, Reuters

Hochul says that at the heart of this case is a young woman and what she deserved from the very beginning.

"Every parent who sends their child to college expects them to be safe and if something terrible happens, the student deserves to know that the people they turn to will listen to them, protect them and fight for them," she says.

Hochul adds that "this brave young woman" deserved that in 2024 and deserves the same now.

There is a gap in state law that this case has exposed, Hochul continues.

"If someone is too intoxicated to consent it should not matter if they chose to use drugs or alcohol," the New York governor says.

"Voluntary intoxication is not a licence for gang rape, period," she adds. "I support closing this loophole and will work with the New York state legislature to accomplish this."

Hochul explains the previous handling of the case has necessitated the appointment of a special prosecutor and that Letitia James will follow the evidence where it leads, and recommend charges if necessary.

"I will not allow this case to be swept under the rug," she says.

Hochul begins by saying that last night she signed an executive order appointing New York's attorney general Letitia James as a special independent prosecutor and that Cornell University had agreed to an outside investigation.

She expresses shock about the case and the way it was handled by police, saying the accuser's claims were not transmitted from campus police to local prosecutors, who subsequently declined to bring charges.

A news conference by New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the state's attorney general, Letitia James, has just begun in Midtown Manhattan.

The pair are expected to give an update on the investigation into the alleged rape of a woman at Cornell University.

We will bring you live updates - you can follow along by pressing watch live at the top of this page.

Nada Tawfik
Reporting from Cornell University

We’ve been speaking to students on Cornell’s campus, including at an emotional town hall yesterday. The overwhelming feelings are those of anger at the University, and shame that this happened on their campus.

A phrase that we kept hearing in our conversations was that the administration “swept this under the rug”, which Cornell strongly disputes.

That hasn’t satisfied students who felt blindsided by the distressing revelations in Jane Doe’s lawsuit that have completely changed their understanding and perceptions of what happened in October 2024.

At the time, Cornell released little information to the community. But crucially, the conversation this case has started means New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul felt compelled to intervene.

Cornell has agreed to an independent investigation into their handling of Jane Doe’s allegations. And now the Governor has gone further, announcing she’s lost faith in the local prosecutors in Ithaca.

Multiple students also told us they believe Cornell can redeem itself if it does the right thing by taking accountability and passing reforms.

Image source, Reuters

New York state prosecutors have reopened an investigation into the alleged rape of a woman at Cornell University in 2024.

The woman, named anonymously as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit against the Ivy League university on 16 September alleging she was drugged and raped at a fraternity house at the university.

She alleged that Cornell failed to protect her or adequately punish the men, who have been dubbed the "Cornell Seven".

The university said it supported presenting the case to a grand jury, while rejecting claims that it failed to punish those involved. It has also agreed to have the case examined by an independent investigator.

In a 101-page civil lawsuit, the woman - who was a 20-year-old Cornell undergraduate at the time - alleged that on the night of 19 October 2024, seven men from Cornell's Chi Phi fraternity chapter assaulted her for hours in an incident involving alcohol and the drug ketamine.

Jane Doe said in her lawsuit that she was intoxicated during the alleged incident and incapable of providing consent.

She said she left her sorority sisters after drinking that night and "stumbled alone" to the Chi Phi fraternity house in the city of Ithaca to see a male friend.

The lawsuit was filed against the university, the fraternity, the sorority, and the men involved in the alleged attack.

You can read more about the case here.

Image source, Reuters

New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the state's attorney general, Letitia James, are due to give an update on the investigation into the alleged gang rape of a woman at Cornell University.

The woman has alleged she was drugged and raped by several men at a fraternity house in 2024. The case was reopened after the woman filed a civil lawsuit last month that thrust the allegations into the national spotlight.

Speaking yesterday, Hochul said she had "lost faith in the Tompkins County DA's ability to fairly oversee" the investigation and appointed James as special prosecutor.

"The young woman at the centre of this case deserves to know that every fact will be examined and justice pursued," Hochul said in a statement.

James could prosecute any offences that might be found during her investigation and present evidence to a grand jury, she added.

Hochul and James are expected to provide from around 09:30 ET (14:30 BST), which you will be able to watch live at the top of this page. We'll also bring you the latest updates here.