New York's 'Law and Order' police unit investigated for rape failings

The New York police unit featured in the long-running TV hit ‘Law and Order’ is under investigation for failing victims, with one told she “might want to date” her attacker.

Allegations against the Special Victims Division of “shaming”, “abusing” and “re-traumatising” survivors are currently being assessed by the Department of Justice - a move insiders say is the first of Joe Biden’s administration.

“The Department received information alleging deficiencies at SVD that have persisted for more than a decade, depriving survivors and the public of the prompt, thorough, and effective investigations needed to protect public safety,” officials said.

The revelation follows a letter signed by 19 survivors sent to the Justice Department requesting an investigation into the unit’s methods last year.

In the letter, survivors claimed that cases were dealt with by inexperienced and unsympathetic officers who neglected to gather CCTV footage or interview relevant witnesses, according to the New York Post.

“In many cases, these failures damaged our cases beyond repair and destroyed our hopes of seeing our attackers held accountable,” the letter read, before accusing the NYPD’s response to the crimes as both “negligent and sexist”.

One disabled survivor alleged that she was asked if she “fully understood” her rape, while another said officers questioned whether to prosecute as she “could end up dating” the alleged rapist.

Leslie McFadden, one of the letter’s signers, claimed she was tricked into closing her case.

“From the very beginning, I was lied to, I was dismissed... It has been a gut punch to deal with [the NYPD].”

The investigation follows the appointment of Carlos Ortiz, a 25-year veteran of the department, as head of the unit, which has featured in the TV show “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” for over two decades.

The fictional series is known for its “torn from the headlines” episodes that often reflect real-life, high-profile cases and has been credited with helping progress approaches to sex crimes.

But the SVD itself has been plagued by complaints. In 2019, the New York City Department of Investigation concluded that the NYPD had “understaffed and under-resourced” the unit for at least nine years.

The DOI flagged a “failure to treat acquaintance rape as an equal priority” to those committed by strangers, case management software that put details at risk of becoming public knowledge. They added that “cramped, unsanitary” conditions were insufficient for sensitive work with victims.

“New SVD recruits get 40 hours of instruction over five days, compared to six to eight weeks for a new motorcycle patrol officer,” the DOI said.

In a statement, an NYPD spokesperson said the department, “welcomes the review by the US Department of Justice”.

“As an agency, we have committed to improving the quality of our investigations and the care provided by the Special Victims Division when working with some of the most vulnerable survivors of crime.”