Dawn McLaughlin was a child abuser and con artist who made her daughter Mariel sick and signed her up for special needs in order to gain sympathy.
History
Dawn has visited several doctors to get different reports on her daughters medical state and only went to the ones who told her what she wanted to hear. Due to her abuse, her daughter Mariel starting suffering from seizures and lost the ability to walk, forcing Mariel into a special needs school.
Dawn first became a person of interest when her daughter Mariel made a rape accusation against a boy in her class. Amanda Rollins became suspicious of Dawn's story of her life, however. After Melinda Warner did a medical exam on Mariel, it was discovered Mariel's disability was caused by malpractice and abuse on the mother's part. Mariel became infuriated and moved in with her father. However, one night, Dawn came to visit and tried to tell Mariel how much she loved her. Mariel did not take lightly to this and killed her mother. (SVU: "Pathological")