"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" season 18 will tackle a peculiar suspect in the upcoming episode this week.
Titled "Genes," the summary for episode 13 reveals that Lieutenant Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and her team will be working on the case of a rape victim. The suspect, who will be tracked down later on, claims that his action is due to his genes.
In a sneak peek of episode 13, Detective Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) and Detective Dominick Carisi Jr. (Peter Scanavino) look into the case. It turns out that the 26-year-old female victim has just come from her work at a bar and has been raped in the front seat of her car.
When the investigators ask the victim if she saw the suspect, the woman explains that she only heard his voice. The victim reveals that the rapist cried and apologized afterwards for what he did, justifying that he was born to be a rapist. Both detectives exchange clueless looks, as it may be the first time they are hearing about such a thing.
In another sneak peek, the detectives approach a man in his work area in an office. As the investigators reveal their identity, the man immediately asks them if they have heard about a bartender who has been sexually abused, saying that a guy who works at the bar has told him about the incident. However, when the detectives ask the man to come with them, he confesses that he did rape the victim and claims that he did it because of his genes.
Meanwhile, in the promotional preview of the upcoming episode, the woman is seen walking toward her car when a man suddenly jumps out from behind and tries to stop her from getting into her vehicle. In another scene, when the victim is already calm, Benson talks to her to get more information regarding the case. The lieutenant is clearly confused and in doubt when she clarifies with the victim, "He told you he assaulted you because of his genetics?" The woman nods in agreement.
The preview also shows the suspect, who is justifying that he is made that way, while the background in the clip describes the situation as "a defense like no other." At the end of the teaser, Benson is clearly agitated with the reason. She emphasizes that "there is no such a thing as a rape gene."
"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" season 18 airs episode 13 on Wednesday, March 22, at 9 p.m. EDT on NBC.
