Former New York State Attormey General Dennis Vacco is raising serious questions about the investigation into an alleged gang rape at Cornell University in 2024.
Vacco joined WBEN on Monday to discuss the case, and said what is most startling to him, as a former prosecutor, is that the District Attorney at the time, or anyone else on his staff, never interviewed the woman who said she was raped.
Vacco called that a "cardinal omission" and a "cardinal sin".
He said prosecutors appears to have relied almost exclusively on a summary of events provided by the campus police department.
The police summary did not include a critical piece of information, that the woman herself said she had been raped.
Vacco said that should have been a red flag for prosecutors and a reason to speak directly with the complainant.
Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed a special prosecutor to come in and handle the case. Attorney General Letitia James has been appointed special prosecutor.
Vacco agrees with that move considering that, in his words, "the case was not handled appropriately in the first instance."
In the case, the so-called "Jane Doe" has filed a 101 page civil lawsuit. Seven current and former members of the Chi Phi fraternity at Cornell University are named in the suit.
Vacco, who is now a partner with Lippes Mathias LLP, said not all seven will be an equal focus of the investigation and it's possible that one or more of them cooperate with the investigation.
"The case was not handled appropriately in the first instance" - Dennis Vacco
"The case was not handled appropriately in the first instance" - Dennis Vacco
