Hawaii Revised Statutes 587D-2 – Unharmed newborn children left at hospitals, fire stations, or police stations, or with emergency services personnel; avoidance of prosecution
A person may leave a newborn child with the personnel of a hospital, fire station, or police station, or emergency services personnel without being subject to prosecution for abandonment of a child pursuant to § 709-902; provided that:
Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 587D-2
- Fire station: means a building for fire equipment and firefighters. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 587D-1
- Hospital: means a facility licensed as a hospital by the department of health and accredited by The Joint Commission. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 587D-1
- Police station: means a facility where police officers report for assignments, paperwork, and other police business. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 587D-1
- Unharmed condition: means no evidence of injury to a newborn child's physical or psychological health or welfare, as evidenced in any case where:
(1) The newborn child is alive and exhibits no:
(A) Substantial or multiple skin bruising or any other internal bleeding;
(B) Injury to skin causing substantial bleeding;
(C) Malnutrition;
(D) Failure to thrive;
(E) Burn or burns;
(F) Poisoning;
(G) Fracture of any bone;
(H) Subdural hematoma;
(I) Soft tissue swelling;
(J) Extreme pain;
(K) Extreme mental distress; or
(L) Gross degradation;
(2) The newborn child has not been the victim of:
(A) Sexual contact or conduct, including rape, sodomy, molestation, sexual fondling, or incest;
(B) Obscene or pornographic photographing, filming, or depiction; or
(C) Other similar forms of sexual exploitation;
(3) Injury does not exist to the psychological capacity of a child as evidenced by a substantial impairment in the child's ability to function;
(4) The child has been provided in a timely manner with adequate food, clothing, shelter, psychological care, physical care, medical care, and supervision; or
(5) The child has not been provided with dangerous, harmful, or detrimental drugs, as defined by section 712-1240; except in cases where a child's family provides the drugs to the child pursuant to the direction or prescription of a practitioner, as defined in section 712-1240. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 587D-1