Chapter 5: Cragen
Takes place right after Olivia brings the rape case to Cragen (Not seen but alluded to in episode).
Why, oh why, can't we ever have a normal day around here?
It's hard enough having to deal with rapes and murders and child molestation every day.
But why, oh why can't we ever get a straightforward case?
I swear, if we were to arrest someone for littering, we would find out that the bubblegum wrapper contained a clue to some heretofore unsolved murder back in 1979 or something. After, of course, it led to a person who was raped, then wasn't raped, but the person she accused may have raped someone else, who in turn was actually the rapist.
Or something. Just once, I'd like to find a crime, then find out that the person who looked guilty was guilty, and that they weren't part of something bigger.
But no, every case leads us on five or six twists and turns before we solve it.
Okay, I am exaggerating. But here at SVU, we always seem to get stuck with the cases that lead to a Byzantine labyrinth of leads, counter-leads, and false suspects.
So now we find that our murder victim was an accused rapist. Nothing unusual about that. Except that the victim is a woman. So, do I follow the lead of the other cops and dismiss it, or do I try to follow up on the case and try to help this young man?
I heard about this case from some uniforms a while back. They were laughing about it, and mentioned that they had had to meet the accused and explain the charges to her. I had assumed at the time that they had resolved the case and didn't bother to check up on it, although it would fall under the purview of this department.
I suppose w should do our own investigation. I don't want to waste a whole lot of time on a wild goose chase, but if there's one thing that I have learned in this job, it's that non-SVU cops are not always as thorough or as sensitive of people who accuse others of sex crimes. They may have had reason to be annoyed at the kid, or they may have just been biased jerks. It wouldn't hurt to check it out.
I'll call in Alex and see what she thinks. If we can find a suspect, will she pursue the case? If so, then we will begin the investigation immediately.