NCJ Number
152792
Date Published
1994
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This document lists and summarizes all laws that specifically state that an offense of child abuse or neglect is not committed by the failure of a parent, guardian, or legal custodian to provide medical care to a child due to the adult's religious belief.
Abstract
Twenty-three States have enacted such laws. The laws specify the age of the child involved, the criteria for spiritual practices to be considered part of an established church or religious denomination, and the relationship between the adult and the child. A separate section explains the function of the National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse, which was founded by the American Prosecutors Research Institute in 1985.