720 ILCS 5/12-3.1(a-5) – Aggravated Battery of an Unborn Child
This part of the law makes it a serious crime to cause major or lasting harm to an unborn baby on purpose.
This section is part of Illinois’ broader law on the battery of an unborn child. It focuses on cases where the unborn baby suffers serious injury, permanent damage, or disfigurement from someone’s intentional actions.
(a-5) Under this section, a person commits aggravated battery of an unborn child when, while committing a battery as described in Section (a), they knowingly cause great bodily harm, permanent disability, or disfigurement to the unborn child.
In the overall statute (720 ILCS 5/12-3.1), regular battery of an unborn child is a Class A misdemeanor. However, aggravated battery–described in subsection (a-5)–is much more serious and is classified as a Class 2 felony, carrying harsher potential penalties.
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