ITHACA, N.Y. — The woman who alleges she was gang raped by fellow Cornell University students in 2024 told police investigators two years ago, "I can say with 100% confidence I was raped," according to her attorney.
Thomas Giuffra, the attorney representing the woman identified in court filings as Jane Doe, confirmed the statement to NPR on Thursday, citing transcripts from Doe's sworn 2024 statement to investigators. When NPR asked Giuffra to confirm on the record that his client made that exact statement about her assault, he responded by text: "Yes she did."
The attorney's account directly contradicts statements from Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, who said Monday that Doe never stated she was raped. In a Monday statement, Van Houten said the 2024 statement taken by Cornell University police did not allege that Doe "was drugged against her will or gang raped." He added that "Jane Doe's statement described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual."
Van Houten told NPR station WSKG on Wednesday that he had not read the full account of Doe's detailed statements to investigators, in which she repeatedly described being assaulted, according to NPR.
NPR also asked Cornell University whether campus police provided the district attorney's office with all of the information from their investigation, including Doe's repeated statements about being assaulted. The university did not respond to the request for comment.
CBS News New York reported Wednesday on a transcript of an interview between a Cornell University Police Department investigator and Doe. NPR said it has not been able to obtain copies of the transcripts.
No criminal charges have been filed against the seven men Doe alleges drugged and assaulted her over several hours in October 2024, according to NPR.
This is a developing story.
- National Correspondent Network
