| "Silence" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 3.23 | → |
| Production number: E3103 First aired (US): 17 May 2002 First aired (CAN): 17 May 2002 First aired (AUS): 25 July 2002 | ||
 | ||
| Written By Patrick Harbinson Directed By Steve Shill | ||
When a transsexual is found murdered in a church, suspicion falls on a priest who resigned from a parochial school after rumors of abuse.
Summary[]
A murder takes place in a church. Detectives Benson and Stabler learn that the murderer had been paid off by the church to stop him from reporting how he was sexually abused by a priest as a child. He blames the church for taking away his innocence and accuses a priest from his youth, Father Michael of molesting him.
Plot[]
The murder of an adolescent prostitute in a Catholic church, along with arson, results in the SVU team uncovering evidence of sexual abuse by priests. They also discover evidence of hiding the fact that it occurred. After a false allegation against a suspect briefly interrupts the investigation, Stabler must convince one priest to break the sanctity of Confession to prove that the reach of the abuse scandal goes much higher than the priests themselves.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler
- Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
- Richard Belzer as Detective John Munch
- Stephanie March as A.D.A. Alexandra Cabot
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen
Recurring cast[]
- Tamara Tunie as M.E. Melinda Warner
- Ned Eisenberg as Defense Attorney Roger Kressler
- Charlayne Woodard as Sister Peg
- Tom O'Rourke as Judge Mark Seligman
- Jayne Houdyshell as Judge Ruth Linden
- B.D. Wong as Dr. George Huang
- Judith Light as Bureau Chief Elizabeth Donnelly
Guest cast[]
- Eric Stoltz as Father Michael Sweeney
- Patrick Collins as Bishop Mallinson
- Sean Dugan as Bobby Douglas
- Robert Harte as Ben Campion
- Jordan Charney as Rory O'Halloran
- Lizbeth MacKay as Mrs. Douglas
- Davis Sweatt as Darius Retafian
- Edward O'Blenis as Todd Ramsay
- Hardy Rawls as Detective Jimmy Moresco
- Nance Williamson as Lara Retafian
- Christopher Mann as CSU Technician
- Kris Eivers as Gus Yoder
- Rick Johnson as Court Officer
- Ty Copeman as Juror #2 (uncredited)
- Jaret Martino as Jamie Doyle (uncredited)
References[]
- 1996
- Saint Thomas's Catholic School
- Saint Martha's Church
- Saint Anne's Homeless Shelter
- Europe
- Columbus Avenue Youth Center
Quotes[]
- Gus Yoder: Please! Don't touch me. I'll go where you want... but don't touch me.
- Tutuola: Looks like we got us a racist.
- Munch: I'm a Jew. Is that better or worse?
- Munch: Sit down Gus, you're making me nervous.
- Gus Yoder: I'm not sitting there. It's disgusting.
- Munch: It's a chair.
- Gus Yoder: It's filthy! Think of all the scum that has sat there!
- Cabot: The murder of a transvestite who caught him trying to burn down a Church? I could try that in my sleep.
- Stabler: What about the faithful, Father? Who protects us?
Background information and notes[]
- The episode title "Silence" was also used for the Law & Order second season episode, "Silence".
- "Peccavisti" isn't the Latin word for "you have sinned", or even a word in Latin. The correct word is actually "Peccasti". Whether "peccavisti" is even a word in a language is debatable.
- Eric Stoltz's last name is misspelled in the opening credits as "Stolitz".
- Actress Charlayne Woodard makes her first appearance as Sister Peg.
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sister Peg's |
Columbus Avenue |
Chelsea Soup Kitchen |
Douglas Residence |
| 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|
|
Office of Special Victims Unit |
Rikers Island |
Chambers of |
| Previous episode: "Competence" |
"Silence" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 3 |
Next episode: "Chameleon" |