S5·E10 Shaken

Episode recap

In the tenth episode of the fifth season of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, titled Shaken, the investigation begins following the discovery of a severely beaten infant. Initially, the detectives conduct a search for an attacker, operating under the suspicion that the perpetrator may be a pedophile. However, the trajectory of the case changes significantly once medical evidence is presented to the team.

The medical findings indicate that the injuries sustained by the child are the result of shaken baby syndrome rather than the type of assault initially suspected. This revelation forces the detectives to redirect their focus away from external predators and toward the individuals who have the most direct access to the infant. The scope of the investigation narrows to include those closest to the child, specifically the mother, the mother's boyfriend, and the nannies employed to care for the baby. The detectives must then determine which of these individuals is responsible for the abuse, shifting the nature of the inquiry from a search for a stranger to an examination of the child's immediate domestic circle. This episode highlights the complexities of investigating cases involving vulnerable victims where the primary suspects are often found within the victim's own home. The detectives work to reconcile the medical evidence with the testimonies provided by the suspects to identify the person accountable for the infant's condition.