Law and Order
Advertisement
"Devastating Story"
SVU, Episode 16.18
Production number: 16018
First aired (US): 1 April 2015
First aired (UK): 26 April 2015
First aired (CAN): 1 April 2015
First aired (AUS): 2 July 2015
  th of 502 produced in SVU  
th of 502 released in SVU
  th of 1271 released in all  
Svu1618
Written By
Samantha Corbin-Miller

Directed By
Michael Slovis

A college student's rape case puts national attention on the SVU.

Plot[]

Popular television host Skip Peterson airs an interview with college student Heather Manning, who claims she was gang-raped in a fraternity house. While the tragic account of Heather's story brings national attention to the epidemic of rape on campus, the sensational details of the she-said, they-said case leaves Sgt. Benson and ADA Barba with several suspects and a rocky trial.

Cast[]

Main cast[]

Recurring cast[]

Guest cast[]

References[]

Quotes[]

[after hearing about a rape epidemic at Hudson University]
Benson: Okay, Noah, just to be clear, you are not going to Hudson University.

Carisi: All due respect, Professor, obviously we'd like to go through you, but if you're just gonna get in the way, we'll go over or around you.
Professor Jessica Dillon: Interesting phallocentric choice of language, Detective.

Carisi: Rape advocate. I don't even get what that is. I mean, there's no burglary advocate, there's no carjacking advocates.
Rollins: When's the last time a carjacking victim got asked, "Are you sure you didn't want your car to get stolen?"

Professor Dillon: [to Olivia] I hope, going forward, that we can kick apart their stories, not Heather's.
Benson: We can, and we will. And I hope, going forward, Heather, that you'll stop talking to the press and at rallies about this so we can do our job. You understand?
Heather Manning: There's only one problem with that.
Benson: Which is what?
Heather Manning: I'm supposed to go on Anderson Cooper and Rachel Maddow tonight.
Benson: Heather, you're going to have to cancel those.
Professor Dillon: That's impossible. It's it's too late. These issues are finally being brought to national attention. The whole country is waking up to the rape epidemic on our campuses.
Benson: [to Heather] I thought that you said that you wanted to bring your assailants to justice.
Heather Manning: I did say that. I do, but this is so much more than that now. I'm the face of a movement.

[about Heather]
Jessica Dillon: It doesn't matter what happened to her. What matters is it happens every day and these frat boys strut around like they're bulletproof. So a few of them finally have to take responsibility? Good. This isn't about you or these boys or this case. This is bigger than any of us. This is about eliminating rape culture once and for all.

President Roberts: We had an incident last night. The first thing the accused said to campus security was, "She's lying just like Heather Manning."
Benson: I don't blame Heather. Skip Peterson and Professor Dillon, they pressured her into coming forward. They thought this would be the case that would change rape culture and it did. It set the clock back 30 years.

Background information and notes[]

  • This episode is based on the Rolling Stone article about a gang rape at the University of Virginia which later turned out to be false.

Episode scene cards[]

1 2 3 4 5

Studio of
America's Worst Crimes
600 Seventh Avenue
Monday, March 16

Hudson University
504 Riverside Drive
Monday, March 16

Office of
The President
Hudson University
504 Riverside Drive
Monday, March 16

Alpha Zeta Pi
Fraternity House
539 West 113th Street
Monday, March 16

Motions Court
Part 8
Thursday, March 19

Previous episode:
"Parole Violations"
"Devastating Story"
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Season 16
Next episode:
"Granting Immunity"
Seasons 1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526
Advertisement