Penal Law, 5737-1977

[Amendment: 2001-3|after=[a/184]]

One who leaves a child under the age of six years without proper supervision, thereby endangering the child's life or causing or likely to cause substantial harm to the child's welfare or health, is liable to imprisonment of three years; if done negligently, the person is liable to imprisonment of one year; if done with intent to abandon the child, the person is liable to imprisonment of five years.

[Amendment: [1965], 1980-7, 2011-3|after=[a/185]]

[Amendment: [1965], 1980-7, 2011-3|after=[a/186]]

[Amendment: [1971]|after=[a/186a]]

One who offers or gives consideration in exchange for permission to have custody of a minor who has not yet reached the age of fourteen years, and one who requests or receives consideration in exchange for granting permission to have custody of a minor as aforesaid, is liable to imprisonment of three years, and it is immaterial whether the consideration was in money or in money's worth.

[Amendment: [1971], 2011, 2016-2|after=[a/186b]]

[Amendment: 1980-7|after=[a/187]]

[(Repealed).]

[Amendment: 1980-7|after=[a/188]]

One who removes or detains by fraud, force or enticement a minor who has not yet reached the age of fourteen years, or who knowingly receives or conceals such a minor knowing that the minor was removed or detained as aforesaid, all with intent to deprive the minor's parent, guardian, or any person who is required by law to care for or supervise the minor of custody of the minor, and to take such custody for themselves or for another, is liable to imprisonment of seven years, provided that the person has not proved that they have a bona fide claim to the right of custody as aforesaid.

[Amendment: [1965]|after=[a/188a]]

[Amendment: 1990, 2000-5, 2007-4, 2007-5, 2011, 2016-2, 2017-2]

In this Division –

"Foster parent" – one of the following:

"Person responsible for a minor or helpless person" – each of the following:

"Helpless person" – a person who, by reason of age, illness, physical or mental disease, intellectual disability, or any other cause, is unable to care for his basic needs, health, or welfare;

"Act" – including an omission;

"Social worker appointed pursuant to law" – a social worker appointed pursuant to any one of the laws listed below, as the case may be:

"Minor" – [(deleted).]

[Amendment: 1990]

[Amendment: 1990]

One who commits an act of physical, mental, or sexual abuse against a minor or helpless person is liable to seven years' imprisonment; if the perpetrator was a person responsible for the minor or helpless person, the perpetrator is liable to nine years' imprisonment.

[Amendment: 2022-3, 2024-2]

[(Temporary provision from 6.7.2022 until 5.7.2028):]

"Family member", of a minor or helpless person – the minor's or helpless person's parent, or a family member as defined in paragraph (2) of the definition of "person responsible for a minor or helpless person" in Section 368a;

"Educational or therapeutic setting" – a day-care centre, institution, or any other educational or therapeutic framework.

[Amendment: 1990, 1990-6, 1991-5, 2000-5, 2007-4, 2011, 2025-4]

[Amendment: 1990]

The Minister of Justice, after consultation with the Minister of Labour and Welfare and with the approval of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Knesset, may promulgate regulations for the implementation of this Division.

[Amendment: 2008-3]

[Amendment: 1980-7 | Other: [a/252, a/253, a/255]]

One who compels a person by force or threats, or entices a person by means of fraud, to leave the place where that person is located, commits kidnapping, and the penalty therefor is ten years' imprisonment.

[Amendment: 1980-7, 2007 | Other: [a/254]]

One who removes a person beyond the borders of the State in which that person is staying without the consent of that person or of one legally authorized to consent on that person's behalf, the penalty is ten years' imprisonment.

[Amendment: 1980-7 | Other: [a/256]]

One who kidnaps a person with the intention that such person be unlawfully confined, the penalty is twenty years' imprisonment.

[Amendment: 1980-7 | Other: [a/257]]

One who kidnaps a person in order to murder that person or in order to expose that person to the danger of murder, or who kidnaps a person in order to extort or to threaten, the penalty is twenty years' imprisonment.

[Amendment: 1980-7 | Other: [a/260]]

[Amendment: 1980-7, 2007 | Other: [a/258]]

One who kidnaps a person so that that person shall be subjected to grievous harm, and one who kidnaps a person with knowledge that the person kidnapped will be placed in such a condition, the penalty is twenty years' imprisonment.

[Amendment: 2007]

One who kidnaps a person for any of the purposes enumerated in Section 377a(a), or in order thereby to expose that person to any of the dangers enumerated in that section, the penalty is twenty years' imprisonment.

One who unlawfully conceals or confines a person with knowledge that that person has been kidnapped, the penalty shall be as if that person had kidnapped that individual with the same intention, knowledge or purpose that that person had in concealing or confining such individual.

[Amendment: 2007]

[Amendment: 2007 | Other: [a/261]]

One who unlawfully compels a person to work, through the use of force or other means of pressure or by threat of any of these, or through consent obtained by fraud, whether with or without remuneration — the penalty is seven years' imprisonment.

[Amendment: 1995-5, 2007]

One who unlawfully retains in their possession the passport, travel document, or identity card of another person, the penalty is three years' imprisonment; one who does so for any of the purposes enumerated in Section 377a(a) or who thereby exposes that person to any of the dangers enumerated in that section — the penalty is five years' imprisonment.

[Amendment: 2007]

[Amendment: 1980-7 | Other: [a/262]]

One who unlawfully detains or confines a person, the penalty is three years' imprisonment; if that person detained the other while impersonating a person of official status or purporting to hold an order, the penalty is five years' imprisonment.

[Amendment: 2007]

[Amendment: 2007]

[Amendment: 2007]

Where a person is convicted of an offence under Section 375a or Section 377a, and the court has not awarded compensation to the victim under Section 77, the court shall set out in the sentencing judgment its reasons for not awarding such compensation.

[Amendment: 2007]

"Combating Criminal Organizations Law" means the Combating Criminal Organizations Law, 5763–2003;

"victim of an offence" means one who was directly harmed by the offence, as well as a family member of one whose death was caused by the offence;

"offence" means the offence of holding in conditions of slavery under Section 375a and the offence of trafficking in persons under Section 377a;

"property" and "property connected to an offence" — as defined in the Combating Criminal Organizations Law.

[Amendment: 2007]