(1) A person is guilty of the crime of criminal mistreatment in
the third degree if the person is the parent of a child, is a
person entrusted with the physical custody of a child or other
dependent person, is a person who has assumed the responsibility
to provide to a dependent person the basic necessities of life,
or is a person employed to provide to the child or dependent
person the basic necessities of life, and either:
(a) With criminal negligence, creates an imminent and
substantial risk of substantial bodily harm to a child or
dependent person by withholding any of the basic necessities of
life; or
(b) With criminal negligence, causes substantial bodily harm
to a child or dependent person by withholding any of the basic
necessities of life.
(2) For purposes of this section, "a person who has assumed
the responsibility to provide to a dependent person the basic
necessities of life" means a person other than: (a) A government
agency that regularly provides assistance or services to
dependent persons, including but not limited to the department of
social and health services; or (b) a good samaritan as defined in
RCW 9A.42.010.
(3) Criminal mistreatment in the third degree is a gross
misdemeanor.
[2006 c 228 § 4; 2000 c 76 § 1.]