Woman’s Hour – Cornell University rape investigation, Tributes to Esther Rantzen, Sunbeds

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New York state prosecutors say they will reopen a criminal inquiry into the alleged rape of a woman at Cornell University in 2024. The woman, referred to in court documents as Jane Doe, alleges in her lawsuit that seven men from Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity chapter assaulted her in an incident involving alcohol and the drug ketamine. The case was investigated by university police but will now go before a grand jury. The case has been discussed widely online, with many including actress Florence Pugh reacting with fury over the reported disciplinary actions taken by the university. Nada Tawfik, BBC North American correspondent, and Tracey Vitchers, Executive Director of It’s On Us, a non-profit programme dedicated to college sexual assault prevention, join Anita Rani to discuss.

The broadcaster, campaigner and charity founder Dame Esther Rantzen has died at the age of 86. She will be best remembered for presenting the BBC TV Programme That’s Life. She also set up Childline – the telephone helpline for children suffering abuse or neglect – and spent a lot of time campaigning for older people and for assisted dying. Guardian journalist Zoe Williams remembers her and her impact on women’s lives.

Australia has launched its Endometriosis Management Plan, which gives GPs and patients a much greater role in the management of their endo. Professor Danielle Mazza from Monash University in Melbourne has been instrumental in designing and delivering the plan. She discusses how the UK might benefit from something like this with Dr Sylvia Kama-Kieghe, a GP in Sheffield, and Vice President of Membership and Workforce at the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare.

A social media-driven resurgence in the popularity of sunbeds is said to be fuelling a rise in cases of skin cancer, particularly among young people, according to some experts. Melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, is now one of the most common cancers in people aged 15 to 34, according to Cancer Research UK. Meanwhile research by the Teenage Cancer Trust found around 48% of 18 to 34-year-olds in the UK use sunbeds – the highest proportion of any age group. Observer journalist Marine Saint has been looking into this, along with Rosie Vare from the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Producer: Melanie Abbott
Presenter: Anita Rani

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