CRUELTY
The deliberate and malicious infliction of mental
or physical pain upon persons or animals.
As applied to people, cruelty encompasses
abusive, outrageous, and inhumane treatment
that results in the wanton and unnecessary
infliction of suffering upon the body or mind.
Legal cruelty involves conduct that warrants
the granting of a DIVORCE to the injured spouse.
Phrases such as “cruel and inhuman treatment,”
“cruel and abusive treatment,” or “cruel and bar-
barous treatment” are commonly employed in
matrimonial law. The term comprehends men-
tal and physical harm, but a single act of cruelty
is usually insufficient for divorce; a pattern of
cruel conduct must occur over a period of time.
This ground of divorce is of diminished signifi-
cance due to the enactment of no-fault legisla-
tion by most jurisdictions.
Cruelty to children, also known as CHILD
ABUSE, encompasses mental and physical batter-
ing and abuse, as defined by statutes in a major-
ity of jurisdictions.
Cruelty to animals involves the infliction of
physical pain or death upon an animal, when
unnecessary for disciplinary, instructional, or
humanitarian purposes, such as the release of
the animal from incurable illness.
A person commits a misdemeanor if he or
she intentionally or recklessly neglects any ani-
mal in his or her custody, mistreats any animal,
or kills or injures any animal without legal priv-
ilege or the consent of its owner.
CROSS-REFERENCES
Animal Rights.
