La. R.S. § 14:403 Abuse of Children; Reports; Waiver of Privilege

• Library: Louisiana Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current with changes from the 2023 Legislative Session
• Year: 2023
• Citation: La. R.S. § 14:403

A.

(1)

(a) Any person who, pursuant to Children's Code Article 609(A), is required to report the abuse or neglect of a child and knowingly and willfully fails to so report shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.

(b)

(i) Any person who, pursuant to Children's Code Article 609(A), is required to report the sexual abuse of a child, or the abuse or neglect of a child that results in the serious bodily injury, neurological impairment, or death of the child, and the person knowingly and willfully fails to so report, shall be fined not more than three thousand dollars, imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than three years, or both.

(ii) Repealed by <actcitation href="" statecd="LA" actaltid="2" sessionyear="2019" description="CRIME: Provides a universal definition of "serious bodily injury" for purposes of Title 14 of the La. Revised Statutes - AN ACT To amend and reenact R.S. 14:34.4(B)(2), 52.2(E), and 92.2(A)(4) and R.S. 15:1212(B)(4), to enact R.S. 14:2(C), and...">Acts 2019, No. 2</actcitation>, §3.

(2) Any person, any employee of a local child protection unit of the Department of Children and Family Services, any employee of any local law enforcement agency, any employee or agent of any state department, or any school employee who knowingly and willfully violates the provisions of Chapter 5 of Title VI of the Children's Code, or who knowingly and willfully obstructs the procedures for receiving and investigating reports of child abuse or neglect or sexual abuse, or who discloses without authorization confidential information about or contained within such reports shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.

(3) Any person who reports a child as abused or neglected or sexually abused to the department or to any law enforcement agency, knowing that such information is false, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.

(4)

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, any person who is eighteen years of age or older who witnesses the sexual abuse of a child and knowingly and willfully fails to report the sexual abuse to law enforcement or to the Department of Children and Family Services as required by Children's Code Article 610, shall be fined not more than ten thousand dollars, imprisoned with or without hard labor for not more than five years, or both.