18.2-126 - Violation of sepulture; defilement of a dead human body; penalties.

§ 18.2-126. Violation of sepulture; defilement of a dead human body;penalties.

A. If a person unlawfully disinters or displaces a dead human body, or anypart of a dead human body which has been deposited in any vault, grave orother burial place, he is guilty of a Class 4 felony.

B. If a person willfully and intentionally physically defiles a dead humanbody he is guilty of a Class 6 felony. For the purposes of this section, theterm "defile" shall not include any autopsy or the recovery of organs ortissues for transplantation, or any other lawful purpose.

(Code 1950, § 18.1-243; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1995, c. 306.)