Abuse or Desecration of a Dead Human Body Charges for Utah Teen Who Hid Lifeless Newborn
A 17 year old Utah teen has been arrested for abuse or desecration of a dead human body after she hid her lifeless newborn in a dresser.
Hidden pregnancy
A 17 year old Saratoga Springs girl is facing charges after her father discovered a deceased newborn in the teen’s clothes dresser back in April. Law enforcement officers were told by the teen that she had been raped the summer before and didn’t tell anyone about the pregnancy. Over the next several months, the teen was able to hide her growing belly from family and friends by wearing baggy clothing. She eventually went into labor when she gave birth to the baby in a bathtub where it was either born dead or died immediately after birth. She then wrapped the newborn’s body in clothes and hid it in a dresser.
Abuse or Desecration of a dead human body
Utah Code 76-9-704 states “A person is guilty of abuse or desecration of a dead human body if the person intentionally and unlawfully:
(a) Fails to report the finding of a dead human body to local law enforcement agency;
(b) Disturbs, moves, removes, conceals, or destroys a dead human body or any part of it;
(c) Disinters a buried or otherwise interred dead human body, without authority or a court order;
(d) Dismembers a dead human body to any extend, or damages or detaches any part or portion of a dead human body; or
(e) . . . Commits or attempts to commit upon any dead human body any act of sexual penetration. . .
Abuse or desecration of a dead human body . . . is a third degree felony.”
Safe Haven Law
Anyone regardless of their age who has given birth to a child they do not want are encouraged to bring the newborn to any hospital where they can relinquish custody. This Safe Haven Law protects the birth mother from facing criminal charges or scorn from family and friends while ensuring that the newborn can receive the medical help needed. For more information on Safe Haven Laws in Utah, visit utahsafehaven.org. For legal help regarding charges against teens, contact a juvenile defense attorney.
