Witness

"Witness"
←	SVU, Episode 11.16	→
Production number: 11016 First aired: 17 March 2010
	{{{nNthProducedInSeries}}}th of 502 produced in SVU
←	{{{nNthReleasedInSeries}}}th of 502 released in SVU	→
	{{{nNthReleasedInAll}}}th of 1271 released in all
Written By Christine M. Torres & Dawn DeNoon Directed By David Platt

Plot

A young woman claims to have been raped in her apartment building's stairwell. The detectives investigate the possibility that she fabricated the rape only to get attention, but later find themselves desperately tracking an eyewitness who saw the attack then disappeared because she fears being deported to her home country of Congo, and the almost certain rape and violence that await her there. Ultimately, Cabot and the witness put the rapist away for his crimes, and it gives the witness hope for justice for people raped in the Congo and even though she's granted asylum, she decides to return to the Congo to help other rape victims there. The witness' story affects Cabot so much that she decides to take a leave of absence to join an international task force prosecuting sex crimes in areas of conflict such as the Congo.

Summary

Episode summary

Cast

Main cast

• Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler
• Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
• Richard Belzer as Sergeant John Munch
• Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
• Stephanie March as A.D.A. Alexandra Cabot
• B.D. Wong as Dr. George Huang
• Tamara Tunie as M.E. Melinda Warner (credit only)
• Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen

Recurring cast

• Lindsay Crouse as Judge D. Andrews
• Ned Eisenberg as Defense Attorney Roger Kressler
• Sean Cullen as I.C.E. Agent Brett Trask
• Anne James as Dr. Jane Larom
• Elizabeth Flax as Nurse Carey Hutchins

Guest cast

• Diora Baird as Lainie McCallum
• Eric Lange as Bryce Kelton
• Saidah Arrika Ekulona as Nardalee Ula
• Jonathan Charles Kaplan as Daniel Stegman
• Molly Wright Stuart as Beth Stegman
• Ray DeMattis as Nestor
• Zachary Spicer as Jason Harris
• Elisabeth A. Furtado as Rosie
• Joe Gately as Detention Officer
• Jonathan Miles as I.C.E. Agent #1
• Christine Fuchs as Juror #1
• Norma Chu as Asian Woman
• Peter Vilim as Soccer Boy
• William H. Burns as P.O. Sanchez
• Joel Bernard as Lounge Lizard
• Jonathan Stewart as Jury Foreperson

References

• Congo

Quotes

Episode quotes

Background information and notes

• This is the last appearance of ADA Alexandra Cabot until the season 13 premiere, "Scorched Earth".
• It is unlikely, even knowing the time frame of a typical Law and Order episode, for someone to have MRSA diagnosed and then die so quickly after initial treatment. The disease being in a limb like the hand would have offered a number of treatment possibilities before giving someone up for dead, especially as it was from a non-surgical wound. It is also unlikely it would not have been swabbed when she was first seen for treatment and thus could have been caught earlier.

Episode scene cards

1	2	3	4
Office of Building Superintendent 251 West 17th Street Thursday, February 4	Apartment of Lainie McCallumt 251 West 17th Street Friday, February 5	251 West 17th Street Tuesday, February 9	Drogan's Pub 199 Seventh Avenue Thursday, February 11

5	6	7
Elizabeth Detention Facility 625 Evans Street Elizabeth, New Jersey Monday, February 15	Supreme Court Trial Part 34 Monday, March 15	Supreme Court Trial Part 34 Monday, March 15

Previous episode: "Confidential"

"Witness" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 11

Next episode: "Disabled"