O.C.G.A.

O.C.G.A. § 16-5-29 (2019)

Battery of an unborn child

✓ O.C.G.A. — 2019 edition (Public.Resource.Org Release 73)
Code text and O.C.G.A. statutory annotations on this page reflect the 2019 Official Code of Georgia Annotated (Public.Resource.Org Release 73, 2019-08-21; public domain per Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). The Syfert case-law annotations in Notes of Decisions, below, are current.
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(a) For the purposes of this Code section, the term ‘‘unborn child’’ means a member of the species homo sapiens at any stage of development who is carried in the womb.

(b) A person commits the offense of battery of an unborn child when such person, without legal justification, intentionally inflicts physical harm upon an unborn child.

(c) A person convicted of the offense of battery of an unborn child shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(d) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to permit the prosecution of:

(1) Any person for conduct relating to an abortion for which the consent of the pregnant woman, or person authorized by law to act on her behalf, has been obtained or for which such consent is implied by law;

(2) Any person for any medical treatment of the pregnant woman or her unborn child; or

(3) Any woman with respect to her unborn child.

History

Code 1981, § 16-5-29, enacted by Ga. L. 2006, p. 643, § 1/SB 77.

Annotations

Editor’s notes. - Ga. L. 2006, p. 643, § 5/SB 77, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that the amendment

by that Act shall apply to all offenses committed on or after July 1, 2006.

Law reviews. - For article on 2006 enactment of this Code section, see 23 Ga. St. U. L. Rev. 37 (2006).

OPINIONS OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL Fingerprinting required for violators. - Those charged with offenses un-

der O.C.G.A. § 16-5-29 are to be fingerprinted. 2007 Op. Att’y Gen. No. 2007-1.

ARTICLE 3 KIDNAPPING, FALSE IMPRISONMENT, AND RELATED OFFENSES

Law reviews. - For annual survey on criminal law, see 61 Mercer L. Rev. 79 (2009). For comment, ‘‘International Child Ab-

ductions Involving Non-Hague Convention States: The Need for a Uniform Approach,’’ see 21 Emory Int’l L. Rev. 277 (2007).