Charges
Emotional/Psychological Laws
Financial Exploitation Laws
Physical Abuse Laws
Sexual Abuse/Assault Laws
Statutes
Financial exploitation of mentally incapacitated persons; penalty.
A. It is unlawful for any person who knows or should know that another person suffers from mental incapacity to, through the use of that other person’s mental incapacity, take, obtain, or convert money or other thing of value belonging to that other person with the intent to permanently deprive him thereof. Any person who violates this section shall be deemed guilty of larceny.
B. Venue for the trial of an accused charged with a violation of this section shall be in any county or city in which (i) any act was performed in furtherance of the offense or (ii) the accused resided at the time of the offense.
C. This section shall not apply to a transaction or disposition of money or other thing of value in which the accused acted for the benefit of the person with mental incapacity or made a good faith effort to assist such person with the management of his money or other thing of value.
D. As used in this section, “mental incapacity” means that condition of a person existing at the time of the offense described in subsection A that prevents him from understanding the nature or consequences of the transaction or disposition of money or other thing of value involved in such offense.
2013, cc. 419, 452.
Abuse and neglect of incapacitated adults; penalty.
A. It is unlawful for any responsible person to abuse or neglect any incapacitated adult as defined in this section. Any responsible person who abuses or neglects an incapacitated adult in violation of this section and the abuse or neglect does not result in serious bodily injury or disease to the incapacitated adult is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Any responsible person who is convicted of a second or subsequent offense under this subsection is guilty of a Class 6 felony.
B. Any responsible person who abuses or neglects an incapacitated adult in violation of this section and the abuse or neglect results in serious bodily injury or disease to the incapacitated adult is guilty of a Class 4 felony. Any responsible person who abuses or neglects an incapacitated adult in violation of this section and the abuse or neglect results in the death of the incapacitated adult is guilty of a Class 3 felony.
C. For purposes of this section:
“Abuse” means (i) knowing and willful conduct that causes physical injury or pain or (ii) knowing and willful use of physical restraint, including confinement, as punishment, for convenience or as a substitute for treatment, except where such conduct or physical restraint, including confinement, is a part of care or treatment and is in furtherance of the health and safety of the incapacitated person.
“Incapacitated adult” means any person 18 years of age or older who is impaired by reason of mental illness, intellectual disability, physical illness or disability, advanced age or other causes to the extent the adult lacks sufficient understanding or capacity to make, communicate or carry out reasonable decisions concerning his well-being.
“Neglect” means the knowing and willful failure by a responsible person to provide treatment, care, goods or services which results in injury to the health or endangers the safety of an incapacitated adult.
“Responsible person” means a person who has responsibility for the care, custody or control of an incapacitated person by operation of law or who has assumed such responsibility voluntarily, by contract or in fact.
“Serious bodily injury or disease” shall include but not be limited to (i) disfigurement, (ii) a fracture, (iii) a severe burn or laceration, (iv) mutilation, (v) maiming, or (vi) life-threatening internal injuries or conditions, whether or not caused by trauma.
D. No responsible person shall be in violation of this section whose conduct was (i) in accordance with the informed consent of the incapacitated person that was given when he was not incapacitated or a person authorized to consent on his behalf; (ii) in accordance with a declaration by the incapacitated person under the Health Care Decisions Act (§ 54.1-2981 et seq.) that was given when he was not incapacitated or with the provisions of a valid medical power of attorney; (iii) in accordance with the wishes of the incapacitated person that were made known when he was not incapacitated or a person authorized to consent on behalf of the incapacitated person and in accord with the tenets and practices of a church or religious denomination; (iv) incident to necessary movement of, placement of or protection from harm to the incapacitated person; or (v) a bona fide, recognized or approved practice to provide medical care.
1992, c. 551; 1994, c. 620; 2000, c. 796; 2001, c. 181; 2004, c. 863; 2007, cc. 562, 653; 2012, cc. 476, 507; 2019, c. 234.
Assault and battery against a family or household member; penalty.
A. Any person who commits an assault and battery against a family or household member is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
B. Upon a conviction for assault and battery against a family or household member, where it is alleged in the warrant, petition, information, or indictment on which a person is convicted, that such person has been previously convicted of two offenses against a family or household member of (i) assault and battery against a family or household member in violation of this section, (ii) malicious wounding or unlawful wounding in violation of § 18.2-51, (iii) aggravated malicious wounding in violation of § 18.2-51.2, (iv) malicious bodily injury by means of a substance in violation of § 18.2-52, (v) strangulation in violation of § 18.2-51.6, or (vi) an offense under the law of any other jurisdiction which has the same elements of any of the above offenses, in any combination, all of which occurred within a period of 20 years, and each of which occurred on a different date, such person is guilty of a Class 6 felony.
C. Whenever a warrant for a violation of this section is issued, the magistrate shall issue an emergency protective order as authorized by § 16.1-253.4, except if the defendant is a minor, an emergency protective order shall not be required.
D. The definition of “family or household member” in § 16.1-228 applies to this section.
1991, c. 238; 1992, cc. 526, 886; 1996, c. 866; 1997, c. 603; 1999, cc. 697, 721, 807; 2004, cc. 448, 738; 2009, c. 726; 2014, c. 660.
State Mandated Reporting
Virginia
Who has to report?
1. Any person licensed, certified, or registered by health regulatory boards listed in § 54.1-2503, with the exception of persons licensed by the Board of Veterinary Medicine;
2. Any mental health services provider as defined in § 54.1-2400.1;
3. Any emergency medical services provider certified by the Board of Health pursuant to § 32.1-111.5, unless such provider immediately reports the suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation directly to the attending physician at the hospital to which the adult is transported, who shall make such report forthwith;
4. Any guardian or conservator of an adult;
5. Any person employed by or contracted with a public or private agency or facility and working with adults in an administrative, supportive or direct care capacity;
6. Any person providing full, intermittent or occasional care to an adult for compensation, including, but not limited to, companion, chore, homemaker, and personal care workers;
7. Any law-enforcement officer; and
8. Any person who engages in the practice of behavior analysis, as defined in § 54.1-2900.
When to report?
Matters giving reason to suspect the abuse, neglect, or exploitation of adults shall be reported immediately upon the reporting person's determination that there is such reason to suspect abuse.
How to report?
Reports shall be made to the local department of the county or city wherein the adult resides or wherein the adult abuse, neglect or exploitation occurred or the adult protective services hotline.
Virginia Adult Protective Services Hotline:
888-832-3858
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title63.2/chapter16/section63.2-1606/
West Virginia
Who has to report?
Any medical, dental or mental health professional, Christian Science practitioner, religious healer, social service worker, law-enforcement officer, humane officer, state or regional ombudsman or any employee of any nursing home or other residential facility. Any person may make such a report.
Yes, but only applies to report
concerning an incapacitated adult or
facility resident.
When to report?
Any person required to report by statute that has reasonable cause to believe that an incapacitated adult or facility resident is or has been neglected, abused or placed in an emergency situation, or if such person observes an incapacitated adult or facility resident being subjected to conditions that are likely to result in abuse, neglect or an emergency situation.
How to report?
Reports shall be made immediately by telephone to the local adult protective services agency of the Department of Health and Human Resources and shall be followed by a written report by the complainant or the receiving agency within forty-eight hours.
West Virginia Adult Protective Services Hotline:
800-352-6513
http://www.dhhr.wv.gov/bcf/Services/Pages/Adult-Protective-Services.aspx