MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                                1889

City, any police department, bureau or force of any
incorporated municipality or the Maryland State Police,

7.    "Abuse" shall mean any: (A) physical injury or
injuries sustained by a child as a result of cruel or
inhumane treatment or as a result of malicious act or
acts by any parent, adoptive parent or other person who
has the permanent or temporary care or custody or
responsibility for supervision of a minor child[.] (B)
[[WHETHER PHYSICAL INJURIES ARE SUSTAINED OR NOT, ANY
SEXUAL ABUSE OF A CHILD]] ANY SEXUAL ABUSE OF A CHILD,
WHETHER PHYSICAL INJURIES ARE SUSTAINED OR NOT.

8.     "SEXUAL ABUSE" SHALL MEAN ANY ACT OR ACTS
INVOLVING SEXUAL MOLESTATION OR EXPLOITATION, INCLUDING
BUT NOT LIMITED TO INCEST, RAPE, CARNAL KNOWLEDGE, SODOMY
OR [[OTHER PERVERTED SEXUAL ACTS OF]] UNNATURAL OR
PERVERTED SEXUAL PRACTICES ON OF CHILD BY ANY PARENT,
ADOPTIVE PARENT OR OTHER PERSON WHO HAS THE PERMANENT OR
TEMPORARY CARE OR CUSTODY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR
SUPERVISION OF A MINOR CHILD.

(c)    Every health practitioner, educator or social
worker or law—enforcement officer, who contacts,
examines, attends, or treats a child and who believes or
has reason to believe that the child has been abused is
required to make a report in the form and manner provided
in the following subsection, notwithstanding any other
section of the law relating to privileged communications;
provided, however, that if the educator or social worker
or law—enforcement officer or health practitioner
examines, attends, or treats the child in the capacity of
a member of the staff of a hospital, public health
agency, child—care institution, juvenile detention
center, school or similar institution, the health
practitioner, educator or social worker or
law—enforcement officer, shall also immediately notify
and give all necessary information required by this
section to the person or persons in charge of the
institution or a designated representative thereof.

(d)    Each such report made pursuant to the
provisions of subsection [(e)] (C) shall be made to the
agencies as provided for hereinafter, both orally and in
written form; both the reports to be made as soon as is
reasonably possible in the circumstances, but, in any
case, the written report must be made within forty-eight
(48) hours of the contact, examination, attention or
treatment which disclosed the existence of possible
abuse. The oral report shall be made either by telephone
or direct communication to the local department of social
services or to the appropriate law-enforcement agency.
The agency to which the report is made shall immediately
notify the other agency. Nothing however, shall prohibit