Public discussion • Comment #4291
Community contribution
2026-10-22T02:51:14+00:00
This case is a mess. The reason is due to the alcohol and drug intoxication of both the accused and the accuser at the time of the occurrence. I do not believe any prosecutor would be successful in bringing criminal charges because there is so much evidence in the way of texts soon after the night of debauchery indicating there was no crime of rape.
If I am wrong, and criminal charges are brought, there is also the very real possibility of the accuser herself being charged as well. The accuser orally stimulated one of the fraternity members who had passed out, and in doing so - she committed the same crime she is accusing the 7 fraternity members of (having non-consensual sex with a person who is incapacitated due to drugs/alcohol). So, I see this going nowhere except for the very good possibility that Jane Doe/Lucy C. may be offered an out of court settlement by Cornell, and she would likely have to also sign a non-disclosure agreement preventing her from publicly disclosing any details.
The Cornell Campus Police Dept employs an experienced female investigator who - in her previous law enforcement career with a different agency - investigated "sex crimes" for 20 years. That female investigator conducted 50 interviews and prepared a 99 page report of her findings. If there was a case to be made, there would have been arrests and indictments when it was reported 3 weeks after the incident. The intoxication and drug impairment of all involved (accuser and accused) make this case nearly impossible to prosecute due to credibility issues. The District Attorney or Attorney General would also have to entertain any criminal complaint made by the passed-out fraternity member who was too impaired to give his consent to the accuser's actions when she started blowing him. That would completely neutralize "Jane Doe" and she would withdraw her participation in legal action.
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