Iowa legal term
Secondary victim in Iowa Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Iowa legislative session
In Iowa criminal law, “Secondary victim” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the Iowa criminal code.
What does “Secondary victim” mean in Iowa criminal law?
“Secondary victim” means the victim’s spouse, children, parents, and siblings, and any person who resides in the victim’s household at the time of the crime or at the time of the discovery of the crime. “Secondary victim” does not include persons who are the survivors of a victim who dies as a result of a crime. 8. “Survivor of a deceased victim” means a survivor who, at the time of the crime, is a spouse, former spouse, child, foster child, parent, legal guardian, foster parent, stepparent, sibling, or foster sibling of a victim, or a person cohabiting with, or otherwise related by blood or a (Iowa Code § 915.80)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.