The unexpected release of a suspect in a hate crime case leaves Benson and Barba caught between two families seeking justice for their loved ones. As public protests escalate to violence, Benson goes to desperate lengths to make an arrest.

A hate crime against a Muslim family results in the death of their daughter. When a crucial witness in the case is deported, Barba is forced to drop the charges against a suspect, and tensions rise between communities on opposing sides of the case.

When a young woman is raped by a member of her church group, Barba must argue that the First Amendment doesn't entitle a person to break the law.

The SVU investigates a charismatic spiritual healer when a client claims he incapacitated and assaulted her using hypnosis.

A congressman falsely accused of soliciting underage girls asks SVU to debunk the rumor, but the investigation leads to a real sex trafficking ring. Meanwhile, Benson and Rollins become the targets of a salacious website.

Benson and Barba ask witnesses to put their jobs on the line after a news anchor makes an on-air disclosure of rape against her boss.

A man under investigation for rape and murder threatens to expose the secrets of those working the case.

A top-level investment banker accuses her billionaire client of rape.

An investigation hits a nerve with Benson when a suspect claims his genetics causes him to commit rape.

Fin revisits his military roots when a fellow Army Ranger struggles to recover from a sexual assault.

The SVU investigates the players of a top youth hockey team after a vicious locker room hazing.

A teenaged boy uses a rifle to stop an assault on his mother, but soon learns the target was someone he knows.

The powerful family of a retail empire closes ranks when a bartender accuses one of their own of rape.

A 6 year-old boy disappears from his bed in the midst of a wild, drug-fueled party thrown by his mother. With a child's life on the line, the case causes Benson to scrutinize her own role as a mother.

A woman is sexually assaulted by a masked man, but she believes the rapist is the same man who went to jail for stalking her. Meanwhile, Tucker contemplates retirement and a future with Benson.

A record label CEO and his protégé are questioned for their involvement in the assault of a transgender student.

A sergeant makes Benson choose between loyalty and duty when his son is accused of rape.

An athlete is the victim of sexual assault, but her secret double life could ruin both the case against her attacker and her Olympic future. Meanwhile, Rollins reconnects with her sister Kim after she's released from prison on parole.

A man tears a family apart when he uses a prominent fake identity to lure a vulnerable wife and mother into his bed. Barba argues that the evidence amounts to rape, but he's faced with a powerful defense attorney and a skeptical judge in court.

After 16 years in prison, a convicted rapist is exonerated due to newly tested DNA evidence. But only a day later, Fin is called to the scene of a shocking crime and must once again investigate the whereabouts of the man he arrested years ago.

A young boy is found wandering alone in Central Park and the search for his parents leads to startling evidence of a planned mass casualty event in the city. As the SVU works with the joint-terrorism task force to find the suspects and the motive, Lt. Benson must also convince Barba to address allegations of rape and torture the boy's mother discloses.

Gary Cole was a guest star as a politician whose campaign goes haywire when several women go public with damaging accusations. The character and the episode, titled "Unstoppable," drew comparisons to then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. The episode was originally scheduled to air on October 26, but was then delayed until November 16 after the election finished. The episode was pulled from the schedule a second time and is indefinitely shelved. Despite never airing, a promo was released for this episode and can be found on YouTube.