Sexual contact with a corpse, criminalized in most jurisdictions as an offense against public decency, the dignity of the dead, or the sanctity of burial, rather than being classified as an offense against a living victim in the ordinary sense. Statutes addressing it vary widely in scope and penalty between countries, with some treating it under general laws against the abuse of a corpse or interference with a dead body and others enacting a specifically named offense, and prosecutions are comparatively rare given the covert circumstances under which the offense typically occurs, most often coming to light in connection with a mortuary, funeral home or grave.
Facts
Classification CodeEngland and Wales: made illegal under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, carrying a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment 1 Typical PenaltyEngland and Wales: maximum sentence of two years imprisonment 1 Elements of OffenseIn Australia, indecently interfering with any dead human body 1 Notable ExampleDavid Fuller's offenses led to section 115 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 broadening the UK offense from requiring sexual penetration to also include sexual touching of a corpse 1 Jurisdiction VariationBrazil punishes abuse of a cadaver with detention of 1 to 3 years plus a fine, a markedly different penalty structure from the UK's flat 2 year maximum 1 Classification
Offense GradeSerious or Indictable Offense 1 Connections
Has Offense Grade
Entity-backed identity for the offense-grade enum value this offense already carries, resolved to a crime concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The offense-grade fact itself stays on the offense unchanged.
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Necrophilia, Wikipedia
United Kingdom section (classification)
Sexual penetration of a corpse was made illegal (in England and Wales) under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, carrying a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment.
Australia section
indecently interferes with any dead human body
United Kingdom section (penalty)
Sexual penetration of a corpse was made illegal (in England and Wales) under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, carrying a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment.
David Fuller, 2026 amendment section
Section 115 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 amends the 2003 law, broadening the offence from requiring sexual penetration to also include sexual touching of a corpse. This change was in part due to the offences of David Fuller.
Brazil section
To abuse a cadaver or its ashes: Penalty: detention, from 1 to 3 years, plus fine.
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