Statutes: Virgin Islands, U.S.

As used in this chapter, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(a) ‘Abuse‘ means the infliction of physical, mental or emotional injury upon a child, or maltreatment, sexual conduct or sexual contact with a child, or exploitation of a child by any person.

(b) ‘Basic necessities of life‘ means food, shelter, clothing, medical care and education.

(c) ‘Child‘ means any person under the age of eighteen (18) years.

(d) ‘Emotional injury‘ or ‘mental injury‘ means psychological injury or harm which impairs the mental or emotional health or functioning of a child.

(e) ‘Neglect‘ means to place a child or allow a child to be placed in a situation which a reasonable person should know is dangerous to the child’s health or welfare, and includes, but is not limited to, the following:

(1) leaving a child unsupervised, taking into account the age and developmental stage of the child;

(2) denying or failing to provide a child with shelter, food, clothing, medical care or education;

(3) leaving a child in the care of any person known to use, possess or sell illegal drugs or abuse alcohol;

(4) leaving a child in the care of any person known to have engaged in sexual activity with any child;

(5) leaving a child in the care of any person known to be incapable of providing adequate care for a child; and

(6) keeping a child under the age of 16 years home from school to care for other children.

(f) ‘Physical injury‘ means the impairment of physical condition and includes, but is not limited to, any skin bruising, bleeding, failure to thrive, malnutrition, burn, bone fracture, soft tissue swelling, subdural hematoma, injury to any internal organ, or any physical condition that threatens a child’s health or welfare.

(g) ‘Serious emotional injury‘ or ‘serious mental injury‘ means that which creates a substantial risk of death, or which causes serious or protracted impairment of mental or emotional health.

(h) ‘Serious physical injury‘ means that which creates a substantial risk of death, or which causes serious or permanent disfigurement, or which causes serious impairment of health, or loss or protracted impairment of the function of any bodily organ or limb.

(i) ‘sexual conduct‘ means actual or simulated:

(1) sexual intercourse, including genital-genital, oral-genital, anal-genital, or oral-anal, whether between persons of the same or opposite sex;

(2) penetration of the vagina or rectum however slight by hand, finger or by any object except when done as part of a recognized medical procedure; and

(3) sexual bestiality.

(j) ‘sexual contact‘ means any touching of another person with the genitals or any touching of the genitals or anus of another person, lips, groin, inner thighs, buttocks or the breasts of another person, or such touching through the clothing, for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire of any person.