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Mass. General Laws c.265

Crimes against the person

This page links to an unofficial version of each section of G.L. c. 265.

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§ 1 Murder defined 
§ 2 Punishment for murder; parole; executive clemency 
§ 3 Duel; wound without and death within state; venue 
§ 4 Accessory in duel 
§ 5 Duel; conviction or acquittal in foreign state; effect 
§ 9 Prize fighting; engaging 
§ 10 Prize fight; aiding or promoting; penalty 
§ 11 Prize fight; appointment within and fight without state; penalty 
§ 12 Boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts or other unarmed combative sporting matches or sparring exhibitions; penalty 
§ 13 Manslaughter; punishment; business organization as defendant 
§ 13 1/2 Punishment for manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle 
§ 13A Assault or assault and battery; punishment 
§ 13B Indecent assault and battery on child under age of 14; penalties 
§ 13B 1/2 Commission of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14 during commission of certain offenses or by mandated reporters; penalties 
§ 13B 3/4 Commission of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14 by certain previously convicted offenders; penalties 
§ 13C Assault and battery to collect loan; penalty 
§ 13D Assault and battery upon public employees; attempt to disarm police officer; penalties 
§ 13D 1/2 Firefighters, injuries resulting from criminal offenses; penalty 
§ 13F Indecent assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability; assault and battery 
§ 13G Commission of a felony for hire; additional punishment 
§ 13H Indecent assault and battery on person fourteen or older; penalties 
§ 13H 1/2 Indecent assault and battery committed by law enforcement officers on certain vulnerable persons in their custody 
§ 13H 3/4 Indecent assault and battery by a health care provider or clergy member 

Added by St. 2024, c. 167, § 7, effective November 6, 2024.

§ 13I Assault or assault and battery on emergency medical technician, ambulance operator, ambulance attendant or health care provider 
§ 13J Assault and battery upon a child; penalties 
§ 13K Assault and battery upon an elderly or disabled person; definitions; penalties 
§ 13L Wanton or reckless behavior creating a risk of serious bodily injury or sexual abuse to a child; duty to act; penalty 
§ 13M Assault or assault and battery on a family or household member; second or subsequent offense; penalty 
§ 13N Transmission of conviction information for misdemeanor offense having as element the use or attempted use of physical force or the threatened use of deadly weapon where victim or intended victim was family or household member  
§ 14 Mayhem; punishment 
§ 15 Assault; intent to murder or maim; penalty 
§ 15A Assault and battery with dangerous weapon; victim sixty or older; punishment; subsequent offenses 
§ 15B Assault with dangerous weapon; victim sixty or older; punishment; subsequent offenses 
§ 15C Assault by means of hypodermic syringe or needle; assault and battery by means of hypodermic syringe or needle 
§ 15D Strangulation or suffocation; penalty; aggravating factors; batterer's intervention program 
§ 15E Assault and battery by discharge of firearm; penalty 

Amended by St. 2024, c. 135, § 93, effective October 2, 2024

§ 15F Attempt to commit assault and battery by discharge of firearm; penalty 

Amended by St. 2024, c. 135, § 94, effective October 2, 2024

§ 16 Attempt to murder  
§ 17 Armed robbery; punishment 

Amended by St. 2024, c. 135, §§ 95-96, effective October 2, 2024

§ 18 Assault with intent to rob or murder; weapons; punishment; victim sixty years or older; minimum sentence for repeat offenders 

Amended by St. 2024, c. 135, § 97, effective October 2, 2024

§ 18A Dangerous weapon; assault in dwelling house; punishment 

Amended by St. 2024, c. 135, § 98, effective October 2, 2024

§ 18B Use of firearms while committing a felony; second or subsequent offenses; punishment 

Amended by St. 2024, c. 135, §§ 99-102, effective October 2, 2024

§ 18C Entry of dwelling place; persons present within; weapons; punishment 
§ 19 Robbery by unarmed person; punishment; victim sixty or older; minimum sentence for repeat offenders 
§ 20 Simple assault; intent to rob or steal; punishment 
§ 21 Stealing by confining or putting in fear 
§ 21A Assault, confinement, etc. of person for purpose of stealing motor vehicle; weapons; punishment 

Amended by St. 2024, c. 135, § 103, effective October 2, 2024

§ 22 Rape, generally; weapons; punishment; eligibility for furlough, education, training or employment programs 

Amended by St. 2024, c. 135, § 104, effective October 2, 2024

§ 22A Rape of child; punishment 
§ 22B Rape of a child during commission of certain offenses or by use of force; penalties 
§ 22C Rape of a child through use of force by certain previously convicted offenders; penalties 
§ 22D Rape of a patient or client through false misrepresentation of medical treatment 

Added by St. 2024, c. 167, § 8, effective November 6, 2024.

§ 23 Rape and abuse of child 
§ 23A Rape and abuse of child aggravated by age difference between defendant and victim or by when committed by mandated reporters; penalties 
§ 23B Rape and abuse of child by certain previously convicted offenders; penalties 
§ 24 Assault with intent to commit rape; weapons; punishment; eligibility for furloughs, education, training or employment programs 

Amended by St. 2024, c. 135, § 105, effective October 2, 2024

§ 24A Venue 
§ 24B Assault of child; intent to commit rape; weapons; punishment 

Amended by St. 2024, c. 135, § 106 effective October 2, 2024

§ 24C Victim's name; confidentiality 
§ 25 Attempted extortion; punishment 
§ 26 Kidnapping; weapons; child under age 16; punishment 

Amended by St. 2024, c. 135, §§ 107-108 effective October 2, 2024

§ 26A Kidnapping of minor or incompetent by relative; punishment 
§ 26B Drugging persons for kidnapping 
§ 26C Definition of ''entice''; enticement of child under age 16; punishment 
§ 26D Enticement of child under age 18 to engage in prostitution, human trafficking or commercial sexual activity 
§ 27 Kidnapping; venue 
§ 27A Kidnapping of minor or incompetent by relative; venue 
§ 28 Poison; use with intent to injure; punishment 
§ 29 Assault; intent to commit felony; punishment 
§ 30 Gross negligence; persons having care of common carrier; penalty 
§ 32 Glass; throwing in public streets and beaches; penalty 
§ 34 Tattooing body of person by other than qualified physician; punishment 
§ 35 Throwing or dropping objects onto public way; punishment 
§ 36 Throwing or dropping objects at sporting events; punishment 
§ 37 Violations of constitutional rights; punishment 
§ 39 Assault or battery for purpose of intimidation; weapons; punishment 

Amended by St. 2024, c. 135, § 109 effective October 2, 2024

§ 40 Causing serious bodily injury to participants in physical exercise training programs; punishment 
§ 41 Sentence not imposing imprisonment; specific reasons in record 
§ 42 Use of radios without earphones on public conveyances; punishment 
§ 43 Stalking; punishment 
§ 43A Criminal harassment; punishment 

Amended by St. 2024, c. 118, §§ 5-6, effective September 18, 2024

§ 44 Coercion of child under eighteen into criminal conspiracy; penalties 
§ 45 Community parole supervision for life following imprisonment, probation or treatment center sentence; covered offenses 
§ 46 Taking from deceased victim's estate prohibited 
§ 47 Global positioning system device to be worn by certain sex offender probationers 
§ 48 Ice cream truck vending by sex offender prohibited 
§ 49 Definitions applicable to Secs. 49 to 57 
§ 50 Trafficking of persons for sexual servitude; trafficking of persons under 18 years for sexual servitude; trafficking by business entities; penalties; tort actions brought by victims 
§ 51 Trafficking of persons for forced service; victims under 18 years; trafficking by business entities; penalties; tort actions brought by victims 
§ 52 Subsequent violations of Sec. 50 or 51; penalties; evidence of prior adjudication or conviction 
§ 53 Organ trafficking; victims under 18 years; penalties 
§ 54 Transmittal of fines to state treasurer 
§ 55 Forfeiture of funds used to facilitate violation of Sec. 50 or 51; victim restitution 
§ 56 Property subject to forfeiture resulting from violations of Secs. 50 or 51; procedure; exceptions; records; preliminary orders for seizure; referral to office of seized property management; homestead exemptions; recording of certificate of fact of fi 
§ 57 Victim of human trafficking as affirmative defense to charges of common night walking or common streetwalking 
§ 58 Possession of deceptive weapon device during commission of violent crime; penalty  
§ 59 Human trafficking victimization as affirmative defense to certain offenses; grounds to vacate conviction, adjudication of delinquency or continuance without finding and to withdraw guilty plea 
§ 60 Female genital mutilation; definitions; penalties; defenses 

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