Virginia legal term
Aggravated circumstances in Virginia Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Virginia legislative session
In Virginia criminal law, “Aggravated circumstances” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the Virginia criminal code.
What does “Aggravated circumstances” mean in Virginia criminal law?
"Aggravated circumstances" means torture, chronic or severe abuse, or chronic or severe sexual abuse, if the victim of such conduct was a child of the parent or child with whom the parent resided at the time such conduct occurred, including the failure to protect such a child from such conduct, which conduct or failure to protect (i) evinces a wanton or depraved indifference to human life or (ii) has resulted in the death of such a child or in serious bodily injury to such a child. (Va. Code Ann. § 16.1-251)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.