Woman at centre of Cornell University rape inquiry in 'constant fear', lawyer says

The woman at the centre of a rape inquiry at Cornell University is living in "constant fear", her lawyer has told the BBC.

The woman, known anonymously as Jane Doe, is suing her former university and a fraternity over her allegation that she was drugged and raped at a fraternity event. Speaking ahead of a hearing in the civil case in New York on Friday, her lawyer Thomas Giuffra said she had been sleeping badly and was now in trauma therapy.

Giuffra said Jane Doe no longer felt safe in her own home after facing malicious threats. He said her address had been published online without her consent and that a fake emergency had been called in at her home. "It's just constant fear," he told the BBC.

He said her decision to sue was rooted in a desire for closure and to take power back, adding that despite the threats her resolve had not been shaken and she remained determined to push for change.

The men named in the lawsuit have not been charged with any crimes. New York's governor, Kathy Hochul, has appointed Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor for a reopened investigation into whether criminal charges are warranted.

Giuffra expressed concern that gathering evidence would take a long time, noting that much of the communication around the alleged incident had taken place on Snapchat. He said he believed he could win the civil case, where a lower burden of proof applies than in a criminal trial.

Cornell University has acknowledged it fell short in its handling of Jane Doe's case. The college's president has suspended fraternity parties until the end of the academic year for a thorough review, and the university said more sexual assault investigators would be added to the campus police force. The BBC contacted Cornell for comment, and the university pointed to its previous statements.