Assault is a crime of violence against another person. In some jurisdictions, including
Australia and New Zealand, assault refers to an act that causes another
to apprehend immediate and personal violence, while in other jurisdictions, such
as the United States, assault refers only to the threat of violence caused by
an immediate show of force. Simple assaults that do not involve any aggravation
such as use of a deadly weapon are distinguished from aggravated assaults in
some jurisdictions.
Assault is often defined to include not only violence,
but any physical contact with another person without their consent. In common
law jurisdictions, including England and Wales and the USA, battery is the
crime that represents the unlawful physical contact, though this distinction
does not exist in all jurisdictions. Exceptions exist to cover unsolicited physical
contact which amount to normal social behavior.
In most jurisdictions,
the intention to cause grievous bodily harm (or its equivalent) may amount
to the mental requirement to prefer a charge of murder in circumstances where
the harm inflicted upon the victim proves fatal. |
