Cornell rape accuser 'under siege' online, lawyer says as NY AG takes over case

The lawyer representing a woman who says she was raped at a Cornell University fraternity house has said she is 'under siege' from online users attempting to identify her. Thomas Giuffra told CNN on Friday that his client, referred to in legal filings as Jane Doe, is 'not doing well.' His remarks came as New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced she had 'lost faith' in the county prosecutor's handling of the case and appointed state Attorney General Letitia James to take over the investigation.

Hochul, speaking at a news conference, said the woman had been 'failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her' and vowed to close a loophole in state law that makes it harder to press rape charges when an alleged victim voluntarily consumed alcohol or drugs. The case involves allegations that seven men assaulted the woman at the Ithaca, New York, campus in 2024. No charges were filed initially, but the case was reopened after she filed a civil lawsuit, reigniting the possibility of criminal charges.

Giuffra told CBS, the BBC's US partner, that his client was 20 at the time and was 'completely, grossly intoxicated,' making her incapable of consent. He also said she had been pressured into taking the drug ketamine before the alleged assault. In interviews with campus police investigators, Doe described herself as 'a sex doll for all intents and purposes' and said she 'felt like bait' as the attackers were 'like lions around me,' according to disciplinary investigation records obtained by US media.

On social media, women have posted videos under the title 'I am Jane Doe' to shield the accuser's identity and complicate searches for her name, with many sharing their own experiences of sexual assault. The efforts intensified after a political commentator vowed to unmask her, arguing it was unfair for her to remain anonymous while the men—publicly referred to as the Cornell Seven—are named despite not being charged with a crime.

Online sleuths have also tried to find the addresses of the Cornell Seven, leading to at least one case of mistaken identity. An active-duty US Marine Corps sergeant who shares a name with one of the men was incorrectly served the woman's lawsuit and faced a torrent of abuse and threats, according to the Free Press. Giuffra said some social media posts have incorrectly identified other women as Doe.