New York state police to take over sexual assault complaints at Cornell

By Daniel Trotta Oct 29 (Reuters) New York state police will take over future sexual assault investigations at Cornell University, Governor Kathy Hochul said on Thursday, in the latest fallout over the university s handling of an alleged gang-rape on campus. The ​announcement follows widespread criticism of the university s conduct in the case and questions ‌about why no criminal charges were filed after a woman identified only as Jane Doe said she was raped by members of a Cornell fraternity. New York state police and Cornell University signed an agreement that sexual offense complaints, which normally fall under the jurisdiction of campus police, will be referred to state police for ‌criminal ​investigation unless otherwise requested by the accuser, Hochul said in ⁠a statement. When someone reports sexual assault, ⁠they deserve to be heard, treated with compassion, and know their allegations will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated, Hochul said in her announcement. Ref