Daijiworld Media Network - New York

New York, Oct 1: A newly obtained transcript of a 2024 interview with Cornell University police shows that a former student who has alleged she was sexually assaulted by fraternity members told investigators she was “100% confident” she had been raped.

The transcript, obtained by CBS News New York, has emerged as the Tompkins County District Attorney's Office reopens its criminal investigation into allegations involving seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity. The woman, identified as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit against the university and the fraternity members earlier this month.

Doe voluntarily gave a sworn statement to Cornell University police on November 14, 2024, about events at the fraternity house during the night of October 19-20. She told police she had initially agreed to a sexual encounter involving two men but said she became increasingly intoxicated and had gaps in her memory as the night progressed.

According to the transcript, Doe said she was drinking and using drugs that night. She described herself as becoming “completely and totally incapacitated” and said that when describing what happened later in the night, she was “100% confident” she had been raped.

The transcript indicates that Doe distinguished the initial sexual activity from what she alleged happened later. She told investigators she had agreed to the initial encounter but became increasingly uncomfortable as additional men entered the room.

She said she remembered hearing men discuss “having a turn” and later recalled multiple men entering the room. She said she became frightened and moved under the covers of another bed because the men were standing between her and the exit.

Doe also told police that she had taken ketamine and was offered the drug again. She said she had never used it before and described feeling increasingly detached from what was happening.

According to the transcript, Doe said she told some of the men she was uncomfortable or said no, while at other points she said she was too tired. When asked whether she eventually gave in after repeated requests for sex, she responded that it was coercion.

The transcript was part of an interview that began on November 14 and continued the following day. The investigator reviewed Doe's account with her and allowed her to clarify or correct portions of the statement before she signed a revised six-page version.

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has said his office's original decision not to bring criminal charges was based on Doe's signed 2024 statement. However, he told CBS News New York that he had not previously seen the full interview transcript containing her statement that she was “100% confident” she had been raped.

Van Houten said the transcript was new information to him and that he would obtain and review it. He said that if the reported contents were accurate, they would need to be investigated further.

Van Houten had previously said that Doe's written statement did not allege that she had been drugged against her will or gang-raped, and that the information available to prosecutors at the time did not meet the legal standard required to pursue criminal charges.

The district attorney's office has now reopened the investigation following the filing of the civil lawsuit. Van Houten said the case would be presented to a Tompkins County grand jury after prosecutors determine the appropriate charges and review any new evidence.

Doe's attorney, Thomas Giuffra, has welcomed the reopening of the criminal investigation and said his client was not contacted by the district attorney's office after making her original complaint to Cornell police.

Cornell University has said its police department provided the results of its investigation to the district attorney. The university also conducted a separate Title IX investigation, which resulted in expulsions, suspensions and other sanctions against students involved. The Chi Phi chapter was closed in 2024 and remains barred from campus.

Attorneys for some of the students named in the lawsuit have denied the allegations against their clients. Cornell has also rejected claims that it failed to impose significant disciplinary measures.

The criminal investigation remains ongoing, with prosecutors now reviewing the newly reported transcript and other evidence before determining whether charges should be presented to a grand jury.