Cornell wrestler Peter Mesko was charged with 1st degree rape after a fellow student accused him of attacking her while she slept.
Via USA Today, two women that described themselves as partners, told authorities that they had gone out for drinks. While out the victim said she had 2 beers, a shot of tequila, and a whiskey and coke. The victim says she then returned to her partner’s off-campus apartment and they went to bed.
During the night the victim’s partner was awoken by her roommates and friends playing drinking games. She asked them to quiet down and returned to the bedroom. Roughly three hours later the victim says she woke up to a stranger raping her. The women say they shoved the man off and ran from the room. The companion then went back into the room to take a picture of the attacker, who was lying on the bed with his pants down, and used it to identify him. She said she knew he was a wrestler, but didn’t know his name.
Cornell University Dean of Students, Kent Hubbell, issued a statement on the school’s website about the incident.
The arrest this week of a Cornell student charged with raping a fellow student has shocked our community.
You may hear speculation about the incident, and some of it may be inaccurate or based on hearsay. As is often the case in a criminal investigation, many details will not be released to the public, and completing an investigation will take time. While it’s under way, please be patient and keep in mind that all parties involved should be afforded their privacy and due process.
I want to reiterate that Cornell University condemns all acts of sexual violence and abuse, and we take every report of sexual harassment, assault, or misconduct seriously.
Mesko, a junior from Honesdale, Pennsylvania, was arrested on Saturday and freed on $5,000 bail.