Cornell 7 case: why the alleged gang rape shocked the US

A case involving the alleged gang rape of a student at Cornell University, a prestigious school in New York State, has shocked American society. The attack allegedly took place in autumn 2024 at a fraternity party, and seven men stand accused of it. In the media the case is known as “Cornell 7.”

Journalist Barbora Halоupková and lawyer Andrea Procházková of the Department of Constitutional Law at Charles University's Faculty of Law discussed the story in a podcast. Below are the main points of their conversation and the known facts of the case.

What is known about the case

A former Cornell student who goes by the pseudonym Jane Doe says that at the party she was sexually assaulted by seven men over several hours. According to her, one of them used a Snapchat group chat to urge other fraternity members to join in. She says she was partly drunk and partly under the influence of ketamine, which she took under pressure.

The university conducted its own investigation: two students were expelled, while others were suspended or given milder penalties, including writing essays. No criminal case was opened. In September this year the case returned to the spotlight: the woman filed a civil suit not only against the seven men but also against the university itself and other organizations.

Why the case struck such a chord

Halоupková, who studied at American universities for several years, attributes the strong reaction chiefly to the frustration of part of society, above all women. She cites American commentator David French, who said that “America is living in an era of impunity, when everyone gets away with everything.” In her view, the case also touched on something deeper: the “hyper-aggressive masculine veneer” of the current government and the right. This comes ten years after the Me Too wave that reminded the world of harassment and abuse of power.

Procházková adds that many women in the West can put themselves in Jane Doe's place: they have been to parties where there was alcohol and intoxicating substances and suddenly lost the sense of being in control. It does not always end in a violent attack, but the feeling of identification is strong.

The second aspect is the behavior of about 50 people in the chat. They read their classmates' vulgar calls for sex with an intoxicated woman but did not intervene. According to Procházková, society, women above all, has reached the stage where “we know what the problem is, and we want men to finally speak up”.

The silence also damaged the young woman's reputation, which means a great deal on a university campus. American student life takes place on a closed campus, often away from cities, and reputation there is almost the only capital. Some of the alleged attackers finished their studies, while Jane Doe left the university after what happened.

Cornell itself, despite the negative publicity, will not run short of applicants, Procházková believes: a diploma from an Ivy League school opens the doors to success. At the same time, such universities have a poor reputation in society: the right sees them as ideological institutions, the left as dependent on wealthy donors. “Nobody likes American universities, but everyone wants to study at them,” Procházková says.

How to prevent similar cases

One measure is a change in the law that better accounts for the victim's position and her likely behavior during and after an attack. Similar amendments to civil law have already been made in Czechia, but experts consider this insufficient. A discussion of consent is also needed, yet consent is only a “bare minimum” on which a more complex conversation about the cultural and moral side must rest.

In addition, Procházková argues, victims need to be treated differently and given time to name what happened to them. She therefore finds it logical that Jane Doe's testimony changes over time, and she is convinced the case deserves to be heard by a jury.

Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz