It is onerous to fathom a world the place Legislation & Order: SVU is not a part of the TV panorama. This landmark sequence celebrates its twenty fifth yr on the air through the 2024 season.
Legislation & Order: SVU has developed over time as instances modified, however from its first episode, it has all the time been about empowering survivors and honoring their tales.
All 25 seasons can be found on Peacock now, making it a good time to look again at some survivors we have met over time.
In honor of SVU’s 25 years on TV, we have chosen one stand-out survivor story from every season.
Let’s rejoice collectively; scroll down to fulfill our favourite survivors.
Harper Anderson – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 1 Episode 10
Harper’s case dragged on endlessly, and she or he turned much less certain of her assertion over time, main the rapist to get away.
Harper is likely one of the few characters to look in a couple of episode.
Her heartbreaking story was continued on Legislation & Order: SVU Season 2 Episode 3, when Harper returned to kill her rapist.
Yep, from the earliest season, SVU targeted on the tragedy that happens out of rape survivors feeling they don’t have any selection however to take the legislation into their very own fingers.
Jennifer – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 2 Episode 4
Tales involving younger kids usually pull at our heartstrings, and this was one of many worst.
It concerned a bit woman in a coma and too many adults who may have been chargeable for placing her there.
When Jennifer is abused to the purpose that she’s close to loss of life, Olivia Benson is set, as all the time, to get justice — however can she discover out who’s accountable?
And is it too late for Jennifer to outlive even when she does get justice?
Katie – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 3 Episode 22
When a lady with Down’s Syndrome turns into pregnant, her mom claims it was rape — however did Katie have consensual intercourse?
And was she even in a position to consent even when she thinks she did?
Katie’s mom desires her to have an abortion in addition to press expenses on her behalf — however is that what Katie desires?
This episode introduced up questions of company and respect for individuals with Down’s syndrome and related situations who need to stay as independently and absolutely as potential.
Hope Garrett – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 4 Episode 3
This story make clear problems with elder abuse.
The survivor was a senior citizen with dementia who had been faraway from a nursing dwelling and was unable to articulate what had occurred to her.
Speak about a heartbreaking story! This was additionally one of many first SVU episodes to deal with psychological well being points and the way they will affect survivors’ talents to get justice.
Alexis Campbell – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 5 Episode 24
When an abused baby dies, it is all the time heartbreaking, particularly when it was preventable.
On this case, a corrupt decide, performed by Tom Skerritt failed to guard this little woman.
To make issues worse, he sends the improper lady to jail in one other case. However SVU is on the case, and so they do not intend to let him get away with it!
Tandi McCain – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 6 Episode 5
It is dangerous sufficient {that a} school scholar is brutally raped.
However then she feels pressured to recant to guard her stepfather, who had nothing to do with the crime.
What a disturbing story!
Maria – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 7 Episode 3
That is one in every of SVU’s most iconic and most transferring tales.
When a bit woman calls 911 claiming she’s been kidnapped, Benson is the one one who believes this can be a actual sufferer — even Elliot Stabler has his doubts.
The second when Benson finds and rescues the kid is as emotional as triumphant.
Tommy Treux – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 8 Episode 14
Think about being six years previous and witnessing somebody killing your mom.
To make issues worse, Tommy’s father believes his teenage daughter did it.
Typically, all you are able to do is attempt to get justice and hope that is sufficient.
Lincoln Haver – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 9 Episode 16
Which is worse?
A homosexual soccer participant who retains his sexual orientation secret, fearing the crew who in any other case idolizes him will activate him…
…or that Benson by chance outs him whereas investigating a rape case?
Ouch! This is likely one of the earliest SVU episodes to deal with LGBTQ points, and it leaves Benson feeling responsible.
Kathleen Stabler – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 10 Episode 3
Okay, technically, Kathleen is not a sufferer of something however her refusal to get therapy for bipolar dysfunction.
However there isn’t any actual case on this episode, and the Stabler household’s battle to get Kathleen assist is likely one of the greatest private tales in SVU’s lengthy historical past.
Plus, this marks the primary look of Bernadette Stabler, who returns a decade afterward Legislation & Order: Organized Crime Season 2 Episode 2 with dementia on high of her bipolar dysfunction.
Cara – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 11 Episode 17
Cara’s case was all the time going to be powerful.
She was unable to talk or transfer due to superior MS and her resentful sister was abusing her on high of the abuse she’d already suffered by the hands of her rapist.
Benson had a troublesome time getting Cara to testify and getting her out of that horrible state of affairs!
Jenna Fox – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 12 Episode 24
Jenna Fox is each a sufferer and a perpetrator of violence.
She witnesses her mom’s loss of life and decides to go vigilante, coming into the squad room armed.
This heartbreaking flip of occasions results in her loss of life at Stabler’s hand in addition to the loss of life of Sister Peg, a nun who usually gave Stabler and Benson data.
Though it isn’t proven on-screen, Staber is unable to return to phrases with all this loss of life and destruction, and it leads him to resign from SVU, making this episode notorious amongst Bensler followers, who’re STILL ready for Benson to confess he is the one she desires to be with.
Ella – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 13 Episode 3
Any episode involving a pregnant 13-year-old is certain to tug at your heartstrings.
Within the case of Legislation & Order: SVU Season 13 Episode 3, the woman tried to cowl by claiming God impregnated her.
It is unhappy to suppose that this baby was so indoctrinated that she tried to cowl for her rapist on this method, and to high issues off, the man who did it will get killed earlier than he will be delivered to justice.
Reggie – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 14 Episode 13
Legislation & Order: SVU Season 14 Episode 13 was undoubtedly one of the crucial controversial SVU episodes — not due to the story, however due to the actor.
Mike Tyson performs Reggie Rhodes, a loss of life row inmate who might have been sexually abused and whose protection legal professional ignored that at trial.
Regardless of the transferring anti-death penalty story, many longtime viewers had been upset that Tyson, who was convicted of rape in 1992, was allowed to take part in a present devoted to survivors.
Leaving that apart, Rhodes’ story is a tragic one which shines a light-weight on racial bias within the authorized system, and the function trauma performs in lots of violent crimes.
Olivia Benson – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 15 Episode 1 “Give up Benson”
William Lewis’ torture of Benson makes for harrowing tv, and it is so grotesque that many followers skip this one on repeat viewings.
Nonetheless, this episode is vital as a result of it is the second the place Benson experiences what the survivors she works with day by day do.
SVU was by no means the identical as soon as Benson turned a survivor herself (though she virtually was raped throughout Legislation & Order: SVU Season 9 as nicely, it did not occur.)
Amanda Rollins – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 16 Episode 10
On Legislation & Order: SVU Season 16 Episode 10, Amanda Rollins faces her historical past as a survivor when she should testify towards the person who raped her in Atlanta.
Harry Hamlin is chilling as her former supervisor turned rapist, and Rollins finally faces the demons she’s been operating from ever since she left Atlanta.
This episode was extra lifelike than Benson’s brush with evil, including depth to Rollins’ character.
It additionally demonstrated that trauma lingers years after the actual fact and that even transferring to a brand new metropolis and beginning a brand new job did not change something for Rollins.
Avery Parker – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 17 Episode 3
Though SVU had featured transgender victims sometimes, Legislation & Order: SVU Season 17 Episode 3 was the primary time they tried to indicate one as a full-fledged human being.
This episode nonetheless fell into the drained TV trope of transgender individuals being victims of violent crimes.
Nonetheless, it was a transferring story about transphobia, peer strain, and actions having penalties that children do not all the time understand.
A big a part of the story revolved across the child who pushed Avery being tried as an grownup, which was a miscarriage of justice.
Theo – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 18 Episode 8
Legislation & Order: SVU Season 18 Episode 8 featured a transferring story is about a bit boy whose mom is an excessive amount of into the get together scene to care for him.
Though Theo is reported lacking, and it seems his nanny has kidnapped him, there is a ethical query concerned due to his mom’s neglect.
His kidnapper had his greatest pursuits at coronary heart, so is it justice that she’s the one accused of against the law?
Notably, the six-year-old boy was performed by Iain Armitage, who’s greatest often known as the kid model of Sheldon Cooper on Younger Sheldon.
Sandy – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 19 Episode 18
Legislation & Order: SVU Season 19 Episode 18 concerned an escort who three troopers brutally raped.
She not solely suffers one of many worst, most violent sexual assaults within the present’s historical past however has little likelihood of getting justice when one in every of her rapists is a commanding officer within the army whose subordinates are afraid to cross.
One of many witnesses, the shy younger man whom Sandy was imagined to be with, struggles with whether or not to return ahead as a result of he’s transgender, and on the time, transgender individuals weren’t allowed to serve within the army.
If all that wasn’t troublesome sufficient, Rollins is downright merciless to her as a result of she is an escort — by Legislation & Order: SVU Season 19, SVU detectives ought to have been well beyond that.
Nikki Staines – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 20 Episode 18
Nikki Staines, performed by Callie Thorpe, was a tough-as-nails protection legal professional who pulled out all of the stops to get acquittals — till she was brutally raped herself.
She did not need numerous publicity round what occurred to her, nevertheless it wasn’t clear she would ever get justice, particularly when it appeared a bunch of corrupt legal professionals and cops had been defending the rapist.
Benson did her greatest to help Nicky on Legislation & Order: SVU Season 20 Episode 18, nevertheless it wasn’t straightforward as a result of Nicky’s partitions had been excessive.
However the saddest factor about this case was how many individuals implied that she deserved what occurred to her, or on the very least, that it was karma as a result of she bought rapists off scot-free.
Dehlia – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 21 Episode 17
SVU has had many episodes revolving round porn stars over time, however the one featured on Legislation & Order: SVU Season 21 Episode 17 was one of the crucial disturbing.
Dehlia was a ballerina who was secretly videotaped — after which the video was uploaded to a porn website with out her consent.
Her profession was ruined, she was humiliated, and she or he did not know the place to go from right here.
Her belief was shattered, and her ballet teacher was accountable. What a heartbreaking story!
Rosa – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 2, Episode 16
Trafficking tales all the time break our hearts. The victims are sometimes individuals searching for a greater life who find yourself pressured into conditions the place they’ve to permit themselves for use sexually to outlive.
Legislation & Order: SVU Season 22 Episode 16 was among the many worst. Rosa was a single mom who wanted an condominium for herself and her son. She bought one on the situation that she slept with the owner’s associates each time they wished.
Rosa was terrified to talk up about her state of affairs, and she or he stored having intercourse with these males in her condominium whereas her son placed on headphones so he would not hear what was occurring.
This was a horrible state of affairs made worse by the data that this type of abuse occurs in actual life day by day, particularly in huge cities like Manhattan, the place victims searching for a greater life are sometimes susceptible to any such manipulation.
Deliah – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 23 Episode 22
Home violence tales are sometimes as irritating as they’re heartwrenching.
Typically, survivors have nowhere to show as a result of their abuser defies restraining orders, will get let loose on bail to torment them extra, or does not get arrested within the first place.
Deliah was one such individual. She was so determined to flee that she tried to get herself arrested — and virtually bought shot on Legislation & Order: SVU Season 23 Episode 22.
Finally, she killed her abuser, solely to seek out herself on trial for homicide — and Benson appears to be the one one who believes she had a selection.
Aida – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 24 Episode 8
Aida was a transgender younger grownup whose father, an NYPD detective, didn’t settle for her gender id.
When she is murdered on Legislation & Order: SVU Season 24 Episode 8, her father tampers with the scene in order that no one will know his baby recognized and introduced as feminine.
This story is as a lot about Aida’s father coming to phrases together with his daughter’s gender id and the tragedy of by no means having expressed his love and acceptance to her whereas she was alive as it’s in regards to the case.
Ultimately, Benson convinces him to return ahead to assist different potential victims of the identical killer, making for a really transferring decision to the story.
Maddie – Legislation & Order: SVU Season 25 Episode 1
Maddie appeared like an peculiar teenager earlier than she disappeared. Nonetheless, an investigation revealed that somebody had stolen a photograph her mom had placed on Instagram to make life-sized dolls that pedophiles may use for sexual gratification.
This case haunted Benson as a result of she spied the lacking teen within the abductor’s van whereas driving Noah dwelling after Rollins’ child was baptized however did not act on her instincts.
Is Maddie gone endlessly? A promising lead on Legislation & Order: SVU Season 25 Episode 1 fizzled to nothing so far as she was involved — although the cops did discover one other woman who had been lacking for over a yr.
Benson did not see that as a lot of a win, nor did Maddie’s mom, however there’s all the time hope for a sequel during which Maddie is lastly discovered.
Your flip, Legislation & Order: SVU fanatics. What are your favourite tales over time? Which of them do you are feeling like watching once more?
Hit the large, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and tell us!
Legislation & Order: SVU’s historic twenty fifth season airs on NBC on Thursdays at 9/8c. New episodes stream on Peacock the day after airing.
Jack Ori is a senior workers author for TV Fanatic. His debut younger grownup novel, Reinventing Hannah, is obtainable on Amazon. Follow him on X.
