Cornell 7 Case Shifts as Accuser Admits Wrong Guy
A key defendant in the Cornell 7 civil case has been dismissed, as the accuser admits she had the wrong person.
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A key defendant in the highly publicized ‘Cornell 7’ civil lawsuit has been removed from the case, as the accuser admitted she had the wrong person. Orazio Petito, previously named as the president of Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity at the time of the alleged October 2024 assault, has been dismissed from the lawsuit with prejudice.
Legal Move and Defense Response
A court filing by the accuser’s attorney, Thomas Giuffra, effectively removed Petito from the case. Petito’s attorney, Eric Bernstein, called the dismissal the ‘right outcome,’ stating that his client deserved to be released from the case. ‘They had the wrong guy and justice was served as far as Mr. Petito was concerned,’ Bernstein said.
Accusations and Legal Context
The accuser, known as Jane Doe, originally accused seven male students of being involved in her alleged sexual assault in 2024. However, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten declined to pursue criminal charges, citing insufficient evidence. The civil lawsuit brought renewed attention to the case, and Van Houten noted that the allegations in the lawsuit differed sharply from the original account.
Denials and Counterclaims
All seven accused men have denied the allegations and maintain their innocence. Some claim that Doe was the aggressor and that she did not obtain their consent. One of the accused, Matthew Ingalls, alleges that Doe sexually assaulted him, but the university reportedly took no action on his claims.
Text Messages and Public Statements
Text messages reported by The Daily Wire show that Doe, two days after the alleged gang rape, expressed affection for one of the men she now accuses of rape. She described the sexual activity as ‘not illegal’ and stated, ‘our body our choice.’ In a message to defendant Jonathan Newell, she wrote, ‘If you have any regrets or anything you want to talk about I am always here to talk about it cause I that was a lot. I really do love u and Matt (Ingalls) and I promise I won’t get quiet and weird w u like I did last time <4.'
Court Rulings and Legal Proceedings
Justice Phaedra Perry-Bond, handling the civil suit, denied a gag order request from defendant Diego Sarabia, calling the proposal a ‘side show’ intended to ‘muddy the waters.’ She left the protection of the defendants from threats, harassment, and doxxing to their attorneys.
No criminal charges have been filed against the accused men. The case continues to draw significant legal and public attention, highlighting the complexities of sexual assault allegations and the legal processes involved.
Source: Daily Wire
