Bill > HB1531

This bill adds a new section to Pennsylvania's criminal code that establishes the offense of child torture, defining it as intentionally engaging in a course of conduct against a child that includes multiple harmful actions such as physical torture, assault, unreasonable confinement, forced holding of positions, or intentional failure to provide care. The bill classifies child torture as a first-degree felony and sets specific legal standards for prosecution, including that expert testimony about psychological abuse is not required and that evidence of the child's pain is not necessary to sustain a conviction. The law provides an exception for parental actions that are intended to safeguard or promote the child's welfare and are not designed to cause serious harm, disfigurement, or extreme pain. The bill defines a child as a person under 18 years old and defines torture as causing bodily injury or acting in a depraved manner that creates a substantial and unjustifiable risk of mental or psychological harm. Importantly, the bill explicitly states that a child's particular susceptibility to mental anguish cannot be used as a defense, and the law will take effect 60 days after its enactment.

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https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1531