{"data":{"id":"us-wa/rcw-9a.42.037","jurisdiction":"us-wa","citation":"RCW 9A.42.037","heading":"Criminal mistreatment in the fourth degree.","body":"(1) A person is guilty of the crime of criminal mistreatment in the fourth 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:\n(a) With criminal negligence, creates an imminent and substantial risk of bodily injury to a child or dependent person by withholding any of the basic necessities of life; or\n(b) With criminal negligence, causes bodily injury or extreme emotional distress manifested by more than transient physical symptoms to a child or dependent person by withholding the basic necessities of life.\n(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.\n(3) Criminal mistreatment in the fourth degree is a misdemeanor.","path":["Title 9A","Chapter 9A.42"],"source_url":"https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9A.42.037","current_through":"July 15, 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-06T00:50:21Z","sha256":"2493c52141b0222647b496935c969abc0414b2f639b602b996691fe8eb93a15a","source_id":"us-wa","stale":false,"prev":"us-wa/rcw-9a.42.035","next":"us-wa/rcw-9a.42.039"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}