Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series)

In Loco Parentis (2018)

Mariska Hargitay: Lieutenant Olivia Benson

Photos 

Quotes 

• Dominick Carisi Jr. : [to Olivia]  So is this where you tell me I'm off the case?

  Olivia Benson : Officially, yes. And unofficially... don't screw it up.

• Peter Stone : Look, what you do, working full-time as a lieutenant and being a single mother, that must take more energy than I can imagine. And you... what I mean is, you make it look effortless.

  Olivia Benson : Okay, you don't have to flatter me.

  Peter Stone : I'm just telling you how I see it.

  Olivia Benson : Okay. Carisi's niece is telling the truth. Uh, she may have been unclear the first time, but the second time, I believe her.

  Peter Stone : I do, too, but she's still an imperfect witness.

  Olivia Benson : Welcome to Sex Crimes. Look, Stone, there are no perfect witnesses. They leave out part of the story. They can't remember. They feel guilty, change their minds. They blame themselves. They think it's their fault, but that's why we're here. To fight for them. And the less perfect they are, the harder we fight. Look, nobody asks a robbery or a homicide victim if she wanted it. Nobody says, "Hey, why was she walking down the dark alley?" Why was she wearing the dark skirt?" Nobody implies that the crime was somehow her fault.

  Peter Stone : I'm just used to having more evidence before I go to trial.

  Olivia Benson : You have the victim's word. We go to trial so the victim, the survivor, can look her rapist in the eye and tell the world her truth. We go to trial so she can be heard. The truth, that's what heals. If you're going to trial because you want to win, you're in the wrong place.

• Olivia Benson : [to Carisi]  What the hell were you thinking?

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : I screwed up. I'm sorry.

  Olivia Benson : That's it?

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : What do you want me to say? She's my niece.

  Olivia Benson : Then she should have been honest with you from the beginning.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : She was raped, Lieutenant.

  Olivia Benson : Carisi, you know as well as I do that the only thing that matters in these cases is the credibility of the parties. And right now, on the credibility meter, your niece is hovering at about a zero.

• Teresa Carisi : [to Carisi about Mia]  You saying you don't believe her?

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : No, I do, but a jury might not.

  Teresa Carisi : This boy raped her. What am I supposed to tell Mia now?

  [Olivia enters the room; to Olivia] 

  Teresa Carisi : Thanks for nothing, Lieutenant.

  [storms off] 

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Hey, Teresa.

  [to Olivia] 

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Sorry, my sister's very Italian.

  Olivia Benson : Look, her daughter did go through a trauma...

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : But?

  Olivia Benson : I'm not sure what happened in that dorm room was assault and I'm... I don't think she's so sure, either. She... she's not gonna make a convincing witness, Carisi.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Why? Because she left out parts of her story? Victims do that all the time. The... the school found this kid responsible.

  Olivia Benson : And unless they know something that we don't, we may not have a case.

• Peter Stone : What are we looking at?

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : The sexual assault happened three months ago at Hudson University. The victim never went to the police. It was handled internally by the school.

  Olivia Benson : So there's no rape kit. You know, untrained investigators, but Hudson University did find the male student responsible.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : The guy was only suspended. For a year. And he made threats. I think he's a danger to the victim. Who, full disclosure, is, um... she's my eighteen year old niece.

  Peter Stone : Good to know. Anything else?

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Yeah. I believe her. And the school did, too.

  Peter Stone : Okay. But despite Betsy DeVos, New York's "Enough is Enough" law is still on the books?

  Olivia Benson : It is.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Under Title IX, the school only needs preponderance of evidence to convict. The State needs beyond a reasonable doubt. We understand that.

  Peter Stone : Good. I've heard enough.

  Olivia Benson : [he stands to leave]  That's it? You're leaving?

  Peter Stone : I'm going to get you a subpoena for the tribunal transcripts. It's a start until you can get me enough evidence to charge rape.