Sec. 12-20.6. Abuse of a corpse.

354 words·~2 min read·/il/chapter-720/act-5/12-20-6

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

(a)In this Section:

"Corpse" means the dead body of a human being.

"Sexual conduct" has the meaning ascribed to the term in Section 11-0.1 of this Code.

(b)A person commits abuse of a corpse if he or she intentionally:

(1)engages in sexual conduct with a corpse or involving a corpse; or

(2)removes or carries away a corpse and is not authorized by law to do so.

(c)Sentence.

(1)A person convicted of violating paragraph

(1)of subsection

(b)of this Section is

guilty of a Class 2 felony.

(2)A person convicted of violating paragraph

(2)of subsection

(b)of this Section is

guilty of a Class 4 felony.

(d)Paragraph

(2)of subsection

(b)of this Section does not apply to:

(1)persons employed by a county medical examiner's office or coroner's office acting

within the scope of their employment;

(2)the acts of a licensed funeral director or embalmer while performing acts authorized

by the Funeral Directors and Embalmers Licensing Code;

(3)cemeteries and cemetery personnel while performing acts pursuant to a bona fide

request from the involved cemetery consumer or his or her heirs, or pursuant to an interment or disinterment permit or a court order, or as authorized under Section 14.5 of the Cemetery Protection Act, or any other actions legally authorized for cemetery employees;

(4)the acts of emergency medical personnel or physicians performed in good faith and

according to the usual and customary standards of medical practice in an attempt to resuscitate a life;

(5)physicians licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches or holding a

visiting professor, physician, or resident permit under the Medical Practice Act of 1987, performing acts in accordance with usual and customary standards of medical practice, or a currently enrolled student in an accredited medical school in furtherance of his or her education at the accredited medical school; or

(6)removing or carrying away a corpse by the employees, independent contractors, or

other persons designated by the federally designated organ procurement agency engaged in the organ and tissue procurement process.