Detective Amanda Rollins joins the Special Victims Unit on the season premiere of Law and Order: SVU. Along with returned ADA Alex Cabot and new Bureau Chief Mike Cutter, the team investigates apparent the sexual assault of a hotel maid by a wealthy and influential Italian diplomat, Roberto Distasio.

The case bears a chilling resemblance to the recent DSK case. On the show, the victim's injuries and the DNA evidence found in the hotel suite seem to indicate that Distasio is guilty, but SVU encounters many problems with the case, including the issue of diplomatic immunity.

Once Distasio's is indicted, the case falls apart when the defense team digs into the maid's past in Sudan and finds inconsistencies in her story. With her victim's credibility in question, ADA Cabot continues to prosecute the case, but the jury cannot decide on the issue of the rape and only returns with a minor conviction.