We have all been hearing about the Cornell University case for the past couple of weeks now, and the entire country is outraged — rightfully so at that. However, what most people do not know is that this all took place over two years ago. This is what happens when institutions and people with big reputations encounter situations like this; they hide it from society and look after their own lives instead of the victims’ lives.
Since the recognition of this tragedy, victims everywhere have been supporting Jane Doe, the Cornell victim, by telling their own stories and experiences on social media. The victim has not revealed her identity because of how society might treat her; she has gone through a very long, traumatic time and wants to protect herself. “Well, why don’t the fraternity brothers just say who it was?” Because they do not know who it was. They cannot remember. Messages in their Snapchat group chat have revealed that they have done this many times to other girls and do not remember “which one filed the report on them.”So many people say that false rape allegations ruin innocent guys’ lives and potential careers, while monsters that do commit these crimes are getting away with essentially a slap on the wrist and a warning. The original case from 2024 was closed with two of the offenders on a two semester suspension, two were expelled and one was able to graduate before receiving any punishment. Two were not. Found. Responsible. They were able to get away with this horrible crime with absolutely no punishment.
This is the kind of thing that makes victims not want to speak up about what they went through. There are so many stories that have proven this, some of them so powerful that they made movies and shows and documentaries about the victims. Watching these, most people think, “That’s horrible, why would someone do that to an innocent girl?” But little do they know, it could be happening right under their nose. One in five women and in 24 men have been survivors of completed or attempted rape. It is so much more common than we like to believe, but in order to really create a safe space for these victims, we have to acknowledge these statistics. However, not so shockingly, only one in 1,000 people have actually been convicted of rape. The two fraternity brothers who were able to get away with this, though not named yet, are simply adding to these statistics.
As we await more updates about this tragic case, the best thing we can do is to keep talking about it. The outcome of this case could influence other victims to step out of their comfort zone and seek help. But in order for this to happen, we cannot stop talking about it. We should call these monsters out by name and make everything about them public so they have less of a chance to repeat their crimes yet again. Along with this, we cannot let this rapist in office continue to serve his term.
Voting is one way you can use your voice. “But I’m just one person…” But just one person and another person and another person and yet another person can make a difference. Unity is what we need in this world, and yet we proceed to divide. We cannot do this in a time when so many people are living in silence, thinking the worst about themselves and changing the narrative in their own mind thinking, “Maybe I didn’t say no loud enough,” or “Maybe I did actually let them overpower me,” and even, “Maybe it’s all in my head and it didn’t actually happen that way.” No is a complete sentence. Intoxicated or not. Dressing immodestly or not. Of age or not. If you are reading this and are a victim yourself, you are not alone. Help is out there, waiting for you with open arms. Whether that be a licensed psychologist, a guidance counselor, a family member or even a best friend. You are not alone.
Remember these names: Matthew Ingalls, Jonathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar. Name them everywhere. Post their names on your social media. Keep the words flowing and their names attached to their crimes. Raise havoc on them. Jane Doe deserves justice.
Elly Wahll is a sophomore here at Goshen College. She is majoring in Social Work and minoring in Music and Theater. For fun, she loves watching horror movies and true crime documentaries with her mom, and now that spooky season has officially started, she has enjoyed watching Halloween movies with no judgement.
