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Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff
§ 12-33. Ritualized abuse of a child.
(a) A person commits ritualized abuse of a child when he or she knowingly commits any of the following acts with, upon, or in the presence of a child as part of a ceremony, rite or any similar observance:
(1) actually or in simulation, tortures, mutilates, or sacrifices any warm-blooded animal or human being;
(2) forces ingestion, injection or other application of any narcotic, drug, hallucinogen or anaesthetic for the purpose of dulling sensitivity, cognition, recollection of, or resistance to any criminal activity;
(3) forces ingestion, or external application, of human or animal urine, feces, flesh, blood, bones, body secretions, nonprescribed drugs or chemical compounds;
(4) involves the child in a mock, unauthorized or unlawful marriage ceremony with another person or representation of any force or deity, followed by sexual contact with the child;
(5) places a living child into a coffin or open grave containing a human corpse or remains;
(6) threatens death or serious harm to a child, his or her parents, family, pets, or friends that instills a well-founded fear in the child that the threat will be carried out; or
(7) unlawfully dissects, mutilates, or incinerates a human corpse.
(b) The provisions of this Section shall not be construed to apply to:
(1) lawful agricultural, animal husbandry, food preparation, or wild game hunting and fishing practices and specifically the branding or identification of livestock;
(2) the lawful medical practice of male circumcision or any ceremony related to male circumcision;
(3) any state or federally approved, licensed, or funded research project; or
(4) the ingestion of animal flesh or blood in the performance of a religious service or ceremony.
(b-5) For the purposes of this Section, “child” means any person under 18 years of age.
(c) Ritualized abuse of a child is a Class 1 felony for a first offense. A second or subsequent conviction for ritualized abuse of a child is a Class X felony for which an offender who has attained the age of 18 years at the time of the commission of the offense may be sentenced to a term of natural life imprisonment and an offender under the age of 18 years at the time of the commission of the offense shall be sentenced under Section 5-4.5-105 of the Unified Code of Corrections. 1
(d) (Blank).
Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Illinois Statutes Chapter 720. Criminal Offenses § 5/12-33. Ritualized abuse of a child - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/il/chapter-720-criminal-offenses/il-st-sect-720-5-12-33/
FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.
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