Recently, a case involving seven members of a fraternity at Cornell University in the United States, who were suspected of drugging and raping a female student, has attracted widespread attention across the United States.
This case occurred two years ago. The victim reported that she was forced to drink alcohol by the Chi Phi fraternity and was also compelled to take ketamine. Subsequently, seven members of the fraternity, who were also students at Cornell University, raped her for several hours.
The victim was 20 years old at the time. She reported the incident three weeks later, but the prosecution did not file any criminal charges due to insufficient evidence. In mid-September this year, the victim, using the pseudonym Jane Doe, named seven men, the Zippi Brothers, and Cornell University as defendants. She alleged that the university failed to protect her properly and also failed to impose appropriate penalties on the men involved.
At the end of September, the local prosecutor announced the resumption of the criminal investigation amidst public outrage.
On October 3rd, Cornell University President Michael Cottrell responded in a video speech by saying that the allegations of rape in this case involve issues that are "heartbreaking and unsettling." He also promised to hire an external law firm to conduct a thorough review of the university's handling of this incident.
We owe Jane Doe an explanation.
File photo: Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Reuters
Cornell University is a top research university among the Ivy League colleges in the United States. Its main campus is located in Ithaca, New York. More than 50 alumni, former faculty members, and current professors have received Nobel Prizes.
For several days, the case of seven people being raped at this prestigious school has caused shock across the United States, with public opinion questioning whether the school authorities have been covering up students suspected of being involved in the incident.
According to the Cornell Daily Sun, Koltikov posted an eight-minute video on the afternoon of the 3rd, saying, "This is one of the most difficult weeks in the history of our school."
The victim previously accused the school of leniently treating some suspects, allowing them to seek reduced punishments by writing papers. Cornell University outright denied the claim that “writing papers could lead to reduced punishment,” stating that the students involved had been disciplined, including expulsion from the school, and the Zefi Brotherhood was prohibited from activities on campus.
In his latest response on the 3rd, Kotlyakov stated that he supported an independent review of the case by an external law firm. He also mentioned that New York State Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed Attorney General Letitia James as the special prosecutor to oversee the investigation into this case.
Koltikov added that the school does not plan to wait until the investigation or review is completed before taking action.
We do not possess all the answers, but we are committed to investigating and finding the answers that our community deserves. Kotleykov added that school officials plan to reassess the role of student clubs such as brotherhoods and sororities within the campus context.
At the end of the video, Kotlyakov also said that this is a “decisive moment” in the history of the school. “We owe Jane Doe an explanation, we have the responsibility to do this right, and we must also protect each other’s safety.”
On September 21, the Cornell Daily Sun newspaper published the names of seven suspects in an editorial titled "Cornell Won't Do It, We Will." This action sparked controversy. The article harshly criticized the university authorities for their inadequate response and slow actions in this case, failing to protect students and failing to live up to the expectations of the victims. This media outlet is an independent student newspaper of Cornell University.
According to a lawyer for the victim, who was quoted by The New York Times, the victim came from a small town about 1,000 miles away from Cornell. She enrolled as an undergraduate in August 2022 and dropped out after being raped in 2024. She was 20 years old at the time of the incident and not of legal drinking age. She was also a member of a sorority.
According to the lawsuit, on the night of October 19, 2024, the victim was raped for nearly seven hours in the Zippy Brothers dormitory in Isaka, New York.
The lawsuit states that she drank vodka with members of the sisterhood that night. Around 8:30 p.m., she went to an event organized by the sisterhood at a bar. At around 11 p.m., she decided to walk about a mile to the Ziff Brothers' dormitory to meet a man whom she considered a friend.
According to the lawsuit, after she arrived, the man and members of his brotherhood gave her beer, marijuana, rum, and ketamine. In the lawsuit, she stated that she had never tried ketamine before and that she was forced to take it.
According to a report by the American CBS network, the victim stated to the police that she had engaged in consensual sexual contact with two men she knew, and that she was "acceptable" for doing so.
But she said that the situation quickly got out of control.
According to the screenshot, at 1:42 a.m. the next day, a suspect posted a message on the social media group of the gang, saying that there was a woman upstairs who could be used for "free" sexual intercourse.
"Is the shop still open?" asked a member of the brotherhood.
Reply is: "On."
The victim stated that she was forced to take ketamine until she ‘completely lost her ability to act independently’. Several men forcibly had sexual relations with her.
"I am extremely uncomfortable with how this night turned out, so I think that if I take another shot of ketamine, maybe I will faint. If I faint and these men still have sexual relations with me, then they can be charged with rape," said the victim in the statement she provided to the police.
According to the victim’s description, while she was hiding under the blanket, more men entered the room.
At around 5:45 am, the victim lost consciousness.
However, according to the Cornell investigation documents obtained by CBS, one roommate recalled that initially, the victim did not describe her experience as rape or sexual assault. “She seemed to be recounting this as something crazy that she had done. As time went on, I felt that she gradually realized that it was a bad thing, and that she wasn’t really enjoying it at all.”
Several days after the incident, one of the defendants apologized to the victim for what had happened. He said his memory was “a bit fuzzy” and felt guilty, as they were too drunk to “stop the situation from getting out of control and get rid of the people involved.”
The victim replied that she liked to be with him and another man. She suggested that they could also smoke marijuana together, “but not along with those fifty billion other men and ketamine.”
In November of the same year, the victim reported the incident to the police.
After internal reviews and hearings, Cornell University announced that two of the seven students involved were expelled, two were suspended for at least two semesters, one has graduated, and the other two were determined not to be responsible.
Seven defendants denied the accusations, claiming that any sexual behavior was either consensual or never took place at all.
On September 28th this year, a prosecutor in New York State announced the resumption of the investigation. According to a statement by Matthew VanHouden, the district attorney for Tompkins County where Cornell University is located, the victim did not mention being drugged or subjected to rape in her first testimony in November 2024. Instead, she described her participation in drug use and sexual activities as voluntary, conscious, and with mutual consent. This contradicts her statements in the civil lawsuit two years later.
Fan Hao Teng's case drew much attention, with many contacting his office via phone calls, voicemail messages, or emails over the past two weeks. Some sought answers for understandable reasons while others showed disrespect towards my office and staff, even issuing threats.
Some believe that this case exposes the loopholes in New York state laws regarding how 'sexual consent' is determined when dealing with 'mental incapacity'.
According to The Washington Post, New York state law defines rape as a situation where the victim explicitly refuses sexual intercourse or is forced into sexual intercourse. Rape is also considered if the victim is unconscious or unable to communicate. However, for prosecutors in New York and at least a dozen other states, it can be difficult to charge someone with rape when the victim voluntarily consumes alcohol or drugs and claims that they were so intoxicated that they could not give consent.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said on October 2 that she supports addressing legal loopholes and will work with the New York State Legislature to enact necessary reforms.
Hochul also criticized the handling of this case by the Cornell University Police Department on the same day. She condemned the police for submitting “incomplete records” to the prosecution, stating that these records omitted specific details related to rape and calling this negligence.
The victim clearly stated in a statement that ‘I can say with 100% certainty that I was raped’. However, Van Houten claimed on September 28 that he had never seen such a statement before.
"If someone is drunk and unable to consent, then whether they choose to inject drugs or drink alcohol becomes irrelevant," Huo Chui'er said. "Willing intoxication is not a valid excuse for rape or sexual assault, as simple as that."
Those opposed to amending the law believe that doing so will weaken the protection of due process and increase the risk of wrongful convictions.
Northwestern University law professor Deborah Tulkheimer said that distinguishing between voluntary and involuntary drunkenness is a “specific example of legally holding victims accountable,” stemming from “a long-standing legal and cultural tendency to hold those who fail to prevent such incidents accountable.”
According to CNN's report on April 4th, the atmosphere at Cornell University is serious and somber. This case is sparking discussions across the United States regarding how schools, police, and prosecutors should respond to sexual assault incidents on campus.
