The State of Illinois - Public Act #87-1167

The State of Illinois - Public Act #87-1167
Effective January 1, 1993


Ritualized Abuse of a Child - Exclusions - Penalties - Definition

Be it enacted by the legislature of the State of Illinois:

(a) A person is guilty of a felony when he commits any of the following acts with, upon, or in the presence of a child as part of a ceremony, rite, or similar observance.

(1) actually or i 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 anesthetic 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.

(4) involves teh child in the 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 which 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 circumcision or any ceremony related to circumcision; or

(3) any state or federally approved, licensed, or funded research project.


(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 the offender may be sentenced to a term of natural life imprisonment.

(d) For the purpose of this Section, 'child' means any person under 18 years of age.


In addition, the Illinois statute allows "testimony by an expert, qualified by the court relating to any recognized and accepted form of post-traumatic stress syndrome shall be admissible as evidence".