Cornell DA says he has not seen interview transcript with alleged rape victim

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten confirmed he has never seen the transcript of the interview between Cornell University campus police and the alleged rape victim. He explained that his office’s decision not to pursue criminal charges relied on a signed statement the victim provided in 2024, not on the later police interview. The transcript, from a source, shows the interview took place over two days more than three weeks after the alleged assault and involved a campus police investigator, a Title IX investigator, a victim advocate and the victim’s adviser.

Van Houten said the information from the later interview was not part of his review and that he will now request the transcript to reassess the case. The victim’s statements in the interview detail her recollection of drinking, drug use, gaps in memory, and describe being physically assaulted, but the DA emphasized that these details were not considered in his original decision.