 " Scorched Earth " is the thirteenth season premiere of the police procedural television series Law & Order : Special Victims Unit and the 273rd episode overall . It originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 21 , 2011 . In the episode , which was inspired by the Dominique Strauss @-@ Kahn sexual assault case , an Italian diplomat is arrested when a hotel maid accuses him of rape . The District Attorney 's office then brings the case to trial , which becomes increasingly complicated as the defense questions the maid 's credibility . Meanwhile , Detective Olivia Benson ( Mariska Hargitay ) struggles to cope with the aftermath of the squad room shooting . 
