| "Conversion" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 18.19 | → |
| Production number: 18019 First aired (US): 17 May 2017 First aired (UK): 21 May 2017 First aired (CAN): 17 May 2017 First aired (AUS): 20 May 2017 | ||
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| Written By Kevin Fox & Brendan Feeney Directed By Alex Chapple | ||
Barba must argue that the First Amendment does not give a person the right to break the law when a woman is raped by a member of her church group.
Summary[]
Summary
Plot[]
A church group from Hunter, Indiana, led by Reverend Gary Langham, is visiting New York City when one of their members, 18-year-old Ann Davenport, is raped in her hotel room. Ann is reluctant to say anything. Ann's friend Lydia Banks tells Fin that the church has brainwashed Ann and convinced her that being gay (which Ann is) is a sin. The rapist turns out to be Lucas Hale, another member of the group. Lucas claims that it was curative intercourse to "cure" Ann of being gay, and that he was saving her soul. He says that he was following God's command.
Ann, who never gave consent for sex with Lucas, didn't want to say that it was Lucas, because Ann herself thinks being gay needs to be "cured" out of her -- the church did brainwash her. Gary gets Lucas an attorney named Evan Braun. Benson explains to Gary that Lucas has a right to counsel, but he confessed. Gary states that there is nothing to confess to, explaining that the curative intercourse is his right under the first amendment, calling it an expression of religious beliefs. Barba believes that the only way to nail Lucas is to try to undo the brainwashing enough to help Ann see that it was rape. Benson manages to convince Ann that what Lucas did to her was wrong.
The SVU finds that Lucas is hiding a secret -- he too is gay, and the "curative" part was supposed to go both ways on Lucas and Ann. It turns out that Lucas, in a way, is a victim too -- Gary had brainwashed and ordered him, and others, into doing what Gary called "curative sex", as a way to try to convert LGBT people, with Gary actually believing that he was doing the right thing. Barba and the SVU take steps to bring Gary down.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Mariska Hargitay as Lieutenant Olivia Benson
- Kelli Giddish as Detective Amanda Rollins
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- Peter Scanavino as Detective Dominick Carisi, Jr.
- Raúl Esparza as A.D.A. Rafael Barba
Recurring cast[]
- Michael Kostroff as Defense Attorney Evan Braun
- Michael Mastro as Judge D. Serani
- Tom Titone as Judge Joshua Goldfarb
- Erica Camarano as Officer Rachel Ortiz
Guest cast[]
- Jessie Carter as Ann Davenport
- Casey Cott as Lucas Hull
- Kip Pardue as Reverend Gary Langham
- Sarah Deaver as Lydia Banks
- Rebecca Krainik as Charlotte Owens
- Orlagh Cassidy as Cheryl Davenport
- Zachary Knower as Paul Davenport
- Alexandar Hodge as Trent Dillon
- Peter Graham as Brad
- David Julian Levi as Dave
- Ashley North as Spectator (uncredited)
References[]
- Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.
- Cantwell v. Connecticut
- First Amendment
- Indiana
- Reynolds v. United States
- Billy Joel
- Corrective rape
Quotes[]
- Officer Rachel Ortiz: Vic's name is Ann Davenport. 18, part of a visiting church group fom Hunter, Indiana.
- Benson: Okay. And she said that she was sexually assaulted in her room.
- Rachel Ortiz: No, actually, her friend said that. Lydia Banks, also 18. She's the one who called 911.
- Tutuola: Okay, we're gonna need security footage from the hallway and the elevator, key card entry logs, the works.
- Benson: So, Ann, can you tell me what happened?
- Ann Davenport: I'm... I'm not really sure.
- Lydia Banks: You were raped! [Benson looks at her in surprise] Look, she was raped. She would never let a man have sex with her. She is... she is a lesbian.
- Tutuola: How do you two know each other?
- Lydia Banks: Um, well, we grew up together. I, um... I got out of Indiana when I turned sixteen. We did stay in touch, but tonight's the first time I've seen her since I moved to New York.
- Tutuola: Okay. So what'd you guys do tonight?
- Lydia Banks: Um... well, we had a drink. It was just a soda at the... at the bar. Um... and then we went back to her room. Um... and then the chaperone knocked on the door, said it was 11:00; it's lights out. And Ann, she snuck me her room key so that I could come back and we could... we could hang out.
- Tutuola: How much later?
- Lydia Banks: It was, like, maybe a half hour later. And, you know, I thought everyone would be asleep, so I went in and Ann was crying. And she said that she had been raped.
- Tutuola: She used that word?
- Lydia Banks: Basically. I mean, she said "He made me. My virtue is gone." What does that sound like to you?
- Ann Davenport: I would never have sex with a boy.
- Benson: Because you're a lesbian.
- Ann Davenport: No. No, I'm saving myself for marriage. I'm a virgin. Or I was.
- Benson: Okay, so what Lydia said before...
- Ann Davenport: I'm not. I mean, I have feelings for Lydia, but I would never act on them. That's a... that's a sin.
- Benson: Honey, I need you to listen to me. If you didn't want to have sex with that boy, that's rape.
- Tutuola: So Ann can't tell us who attacked her or she won't?
- Benson: Well, it's obvious she's traumatized. It's possible that the perp threatened her.
- Tutuola: Or she had sex with a boyfriend and don't want her girlfriend to know.
- Benson: I'm not getting that.
- Tutuola: Reverend, huh? What'd he have to say?
- Benson: That they're not in Kansas anymore.
- Carisi: So this kid is, uh, basically confessing. But in his mind, he forced Ann to have sex with him to save her soul from going to hell.
- Benson: Okay. Keep him talking.
- Carisi: All right. Also, Ann's parents are here.
- Paul Davenport: We're taking our daughter home. We need to deal with this our way.
- Benson: I... I understand that, sir. But we are in the middle of a criminal investigation and we would very much appreciate your cooperation.
- Cheryl Davenport: It's the police, Paul. She needs to stay, right?
- Benson: Yes, that would be helpful.
- Cheryl Davenport: I'm just worried about Ann. Regardless of why this happened, she was traumatized. I wanna make sure she's safe.
- Rollins: So do we.
- Benson: Lucas has a right to counsel, but he's already confessed to my detectives.
- Reverend Gary Langham: There is nothing to confess to.
- Carisi: Excuse me?
- Reverend Langham: Lucas had curative intercourse with Ann Davenport. It's his right under the First Amendment.
- Tutuola: His right?
- Reverend Langham: It's an expression of his and Ann's religious beliefs.
- Benson: Okay.
- Tutuola: Look, I'm no preacher, but I know the guy in the sky isn't down with rape.
- Benson: Yeah, well, neither is the State of New York. And regardless of his religious beliefs, Lucas is guilty of sexual assault, so he won't be going anywhere.
- Reverend Langham: Well, then I will see you in court.
- Barba: His lawyer's invoking the First Amendment?
- Rollins: He claims he was trying to cure her, and the victim does, too.
- Barba: The victim?
- Carisi: Yeah, she admits that she was raped, but she doesn't wanna press charges because she thinks the guy did it for the right reasons.
- Benson: None of that matters. Ann didn't consent. It was rape.
- Carisi: Right, but if she really believes that what he did was curative...
- Barba: Even if you buy into this demented doctrine, a patient has the right to refuse care at any time.
- Carisi: Of course, but I'm just saying that given her religious beliefs, all right, it's more than possible that this kid's defense attorney is gonna lather that up into consent.
- Barba: Yeah, I agree. So we've gotta help Ann see the light, so to speak.
- Tutuola: And how do we do that?
- Barba: Use your imagination. Religion has been used to justify everything from genocide to the war against Christmas. I'm sure we can twist it in our favor for once. Just get her on our side.
- Ann Davenport: I try to put all this in God's hands, to have faith. But God's law and man's law say two different things. And how do I know what's right?
- Benson: Maybe you don't need to know. Maybe... maybe you just need to tell the truth.
- Ann Davenport: The truth. That... that I have feelings for Lydia or what Lucas did?
- Benson: Both.
- Ann Davenport: But my lust is a sin. It's...
- Benson: Ann, God made you the way you are. What Lucas did, do you really think that God would condone that? He hurt you. You know, I believe in God, too. And I'm not sure what He has in store for me or... or for you. Or for anyone, for that matter. But... but what I am sure about, regardless of religion, is that what Lucas did to you was wrong.
- Ann Davenport: [breaking down into tears] Yeah, I know.
- Cheryl Davenport: I'm pleading with you, Lieutenant. Don't make my daughter testify. She will be shunned by the church, our community. This is a private matter.
- Benson: No, it's not anymore. A crime has been committed. So now, unfortunately, this is a public matter.
- Cheryl Davenport: I don't understand. Why are you making her do this?
- Benson: I only asked your daughter to tell me the truth. And she told me that that's something that she valued.
- Cheryl Davenport: The truth is Lucas Hull tried to save her soul.
- Benson: The truth is that your daughter was sexually assaulted.
- Barba: I can imagine what that was about.
- Barba: These people really think that nothing criminal happened.
- Benson: Never underestimate the power of faith. Regardless of where it's placed.
- Barba: Let's go over Ann's testimony one more time. Make sure she's consistent.
- Benson: Okay.
- Barba: You know, he said/she said/God said, you don't want God to get the last word. [checking his phone] Spoke too soon. Defense filed a motion to dismiss based on First Amendment protections.
- Benson: So they're saying that rape is okay if it's done for religious reasons.
- Barba: Huh. I don't remember reading that in the Bible.
- Evan Braun: The church to which both Lucas Hull and Ann Davenport belong holds firm in its belief that homosexuality is sinful and that curative intercourse is the appropriate remedy. Therefore, there was tacit consent.
- Barba: This argument is ridiculous.
- Evan Braun: All religion is ridiculous to the non-believer. That's the basis for religious discrimination. In both Cantwell versus Connecticut and Hobby Lobby...
- Barba: Neither of those cases involved a rape. Reynolds versus U.S. ruled that the First Amendment protection did not entitle a person to act on their religious beliefs in a way that violated the law.
- Evan Braun: Yeah, but this is not true in People versus Moua, a 1985 case.
- Barba: It's not precendent, Your Honor. And the judge in that case handed down a reduced sentence. He didn't nullify the crime based on a religious argument. But if you'd like to plead this out, my offer's still on the table.
- Evan Braun: In the eyes of the Lord, the ultimate judge, my client is innocent. So I refuse to let Lucas plead guilty.
- Barba: Well, with all due respect to the Almighty, His laws are meaningless when it comes to sexual assault.
- Barba: Man plans, God laughs.
- Benson: No, there's nothing funny about Reverend Gary. Or rape in the name of religion.
- Rollins: I found something else. The church's bank statements. Lucas said he was paid a monthly stipend of $200.
- Benson: Yeah, that was for, you know, maintenance, chores.
- Rollins: Maybe, sure, but I found... I mean, I found disbursements for $200 for half a dozen other kids, going back years.
- Carisi: Lucas did say he wasn't the only kid living there.
- Barba: If we can prove that any of the other boys working for Gary got paid for curatively raping someone, you've got sex trafficking.
- Rollins: Yeah, but we can't. Not without their cooperation.
- Benson: Well, Gary doesn't know that. He doesn't know what Lucas told us.
- Barba: Asset forfeiture laws are very strong under sex trafficking.
- Benson: Do you know what the most frightening part of all of this is? It's that the reverend actuallay believes that he's doing the right thing.
- Barba: Yeah. So do his congregants.
- Benson: Which is even more frightening.
- Benson: So, Ann, what will you do now?
- Ann Davenport: I have some cousins in Denver I'm gonna stay with. Figure things out.
- Benson: Good.
- Ann Davenport: I'm definitely not coming back to New York anymore.
- Benson: And what about your parents?
- Ann Davenport: They're not ready yet. Maybe they will be one day.
- Benson: You know, things get better. They get easier with time.
- Ann Davenport: And with faith.
Background information and notes[]
- Actor Casey Cott's brother, Corey Cott, had appeared earlier in the season as Ellis Griffin in the episode "Rape Interrupted".
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
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|
Mercy Hospital |
Chambers of |
Supreme Court |
Rikers Island |
| Previous episode: "Spellbound" |
"Conversion" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 18 |
Next episode: "American Dream" |