Online 'Witch Hunt' Targets Asian Men Misidentified in Cornell Gang Rape Case
A lawsuit regarding the alleged gang rape of a student at Cornell University in 2024 has sparked a surge of online harassment targeting Asian men who share a name with one of the seven accused. As reported by the South China Morning Post, these wrongly identified individuals have faced death threats, abusive messages urging them to "go to hell," and accusations that they deserve jail time, alongside doxxing efforts. Internet users have been actively searching for information to locate the seven men named in the lawsuit. Each of the accused has refuted the claims, asserting that their encounters with the woman were consensual or that they had no involvement in the incident. This situation highlights how swiftly online anger can escalate into harassment of innocent individuals with similar names.
Key facts
- A lawsuit details the alleged 2024 gang rape of a Cornell University student.
- Seven men are accused in the lawsuit and all seven have denied the allegations.
- The accused say their interactions with the woman were consensual or that they were not involved.
- Asian men who share a name with one of the accused have faced online abuse.
- Misidentified men received death threats and messages telling them to "go to hell".
- Some messages said the misidentified men deserved to be imprisoned.
- Internet sleuths have searched digital footprints to try to identify the accused.
- The abuse has been described as a 'witch hunt' sweeping up misidentified Asian men.
Entities
Institutions
- Cornell University
- South China Morning Post
Locations
- United States