Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

In the criminal justice system,

sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous.

In New York City, the dedicated detectives

who investigate these vicious felonies

are members of an elite squad

known as the Special Victims Unit.

These are their stories.

- One of you Benson? - Yeah.

Benson, Amaro, chief Duggan.

This is sergeant Mullen, HNT.

The gunman asked for you.

So we're seeing an increase

in drug-facilitated sexual assault--

not just roofies, but antianxiety medications,

beta-blockers.

Survivors suffer with memory loss,

guilt, self-blame--

all of which make them hesitant to report these crimes.

Mr. Sandow, your 5:00 audition.

Hi.

Mallory Jenner.

A handshake.

You're meeting the producer. This is a reality show.

Let's try it again, honey.

- Keep taping? - Yeah.

Uh, you know the premise?

You're competing for the starring role

in a Broadway musical.

You're a gorgeous girl, but the audience needs to see

the passion.

Yeah, there you go.

With awareness comes action.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Detective Olivia Benson, Manhattan Special Victims Unit.

Terrific speech--

engaging and funny, considering the topic.

I'd rather be locked in a box with a perp.

He next worked in the criminal section

of the civil-rights division at justice, where...

They let anyone speak here.

You're staying, right?

International sex trafficking--

I cut the speech down to three hours.

Please welcome David Haden.

This would be my dream come true.

All right, go again.

Show me you will do whatever it takes

- to get this part. - Mm-hmm.

Oh, Jess, we're running late.

Go home to Lily.

Oh, thank you, Mr. Sandow.

This would be my dream come true.

Yeah, uh, Eddie, let's try a couple without the camera.

- Okay. - All right, good.

Ah...

- I'm going to let you hold this. - Ooh.

It's my Documentas award.

1992, I won it for my documentary Hard Labor.

Wow.

Now, seduce the audience.

Let them know you want this.

And action.

Sri Lanka, in a heartbeat.

I would like to visit Paris someday.

You haven't been? Now, that's a crime.

Something to look forward to.

Hey, I live a couple of blocks uptown.

Um, there's a bistro. I'm a regular.

Usually eating by myself.

Oh, you're one of those guys?

What was that Stanley Elkin quote?

"The peculiar dignity of men seen eating alone."

Anyway, dinner?

I'm actually still on duty.

And besides, I'm a cop. You're a DA.

Isn't that a conflict of interest waiting to happen?

Yeah, you're right.

I get it.

Good night.

Good night.

Hey, uh...

don't wait too long to see Paris.

Miss.

Miss?

Are you okay?

Hey! What are you doing?

Hey!

She was unconscious when we found her.

Vomit on her clothes-- alcohol, probably drugs.

No purse, no wallet.

No stockings? In this weather?

Shoes are on the wrong feet.

You know what?

Go with, call if she comes to.

And make sure they bag that coat.

I told them. You got to believe me.

I thought she was dead.

Excuse me?

She was lying there. She wasn't moving.

I thought she was dead.

Let's go, creep boy.

What?

He thought she was dead?

Thirty years in, that's a new one.

Name's Jose Silva, 20.

Four vics have already picked him out--

ten more on their way.

Yeah, but the other women were on subways, grind and go.

This is attempted rape.

He's escalating.

She was passed out-- easy target.

What's the status of our Jane Doe?

She's still unconscious at Mercy Hospital,

no match with missing persons.

Benson, Amaro, see where we are on the rape kit.

You two, get Mr. Silva's confession.

Let's move this off our plate.

Okay, we talked to the DA.

Thinking somebody's dead is not a defense for rape.

Oh, I'm no rapist.

Why not, 'cause you got caught?

You're still going down for the attempt.

And the grinds. We got DNA evidence

off nine of the other women's clothes.

Okay, I'm not saying I haven't done things.

I see a woman, she's wearing something soft or furry.

I can't help myself. But no rape.

Come on, this girl--

her underwear, her stockings were gone.

You were that close.

I don't know nothing about no panties.

Maybe someone else messed her up, man.

I just like shearling.

Check her coat.

Your Jane Doe had a rough night.

Prelim tox screen shows alcohol, Benadryl, and Quaaludes.

That combo will knock anyone on their ass.

Ludes--that's old school for someone her age.

Any sign of sexual assault?

Gray pubic hairs and semen on her breasts.

Gray? The suspect's 20.

And he claims he only worked her coat.

Oh, just getting to that. I found semen there too.

I did ABO typing on both samples.

One's from a secretor. One's not.

Sorry?

It's pre-DNA, Amaro.

She's saying that there's two donors.

The grinder was just an opportunist.

So whoever gave her the Quaaludes

assaulted her first.

My name's Mallory Jenner.

Am I okay?

You may have been drugged.

You were drinking. That was a bad combo.

We found you in Central Park, Mallory.

You remember how you got there?

No.

Wh-what was I wearing?

A black skirt--it was short--

a white sweater and short black boots.

Oh, my lucky audition outfit.

I'm an actress.

Okay, uh...

an audition for a play, a TV show?

I...

Did something bad happen to me?

A man in the park was attacking you.

You were passed out. You'd thrown up.

I kind of remember.

I threw up in a cab.

The guy made me get out.

He drove off with my purse.

What do you want from me? This girl vomits all over.

So you just throw her out your cab?

I had to clean up.

I do the right thing, told the garage I had her purse.

Where'd you pick her up?

57th and 11th.

A young guy gave me 50 to take her home.

Bad deal for me.

Hey, she had an audition yesterday--

The Showgirls Project, Sandow Films.

Yeah, that's that new reality show.

Singers will do whatever it takes to get their big break.

Mr. Sandow, your 5:00. She's a little early.

Lacey!

Lacey, hi! Come on in.

Wow! You have a lot of awards.

Well, that's my Documentas...

for Hard Labor.

Cool.

You want to hold it? Go ahead.

- Jess, you can take off. - Oh, thanks.

Um, Eddie.

Give us a few minutes without the camera, all right?

Make yourself at home. Go. Sit.

So how was she after the audition?

I had already left.