Conn. Crim. Jury Instr. 6.11-10

The defendant is charged [in Count __] with knowingly failing to report the disappearance of a

child to an appropriate law enforcement agency. The statute defining this offense reads in

pertinent part as follows:

Any parent, guardian or person having custody or control, or providing supervision,

of any child under the age of twelve years who knowingly fails to report the

disappearance of such child to an appropriate law enforcement agency shall be guilty

of knowingly failing to report the disappearance of a child.

For you to find the defendant guilty of this crime, the state must prove each of the following

elements beyond a reasonable doubt:

Element 1 - Position of responsibility

The first element is that the defendant was a parent, guardian, or a person having custody and

control or providing supervision of the child.

Element 2 - Child under age of twelve

The second element is that the child was under the age of twelve years at the time of the alleged

offense. This means that the child had not yet reached (his/her) twelfth birthday.

Element 3 –Failure to Report Child’s Disappearance to Appropriate Law Enforcement

Agency

The third element is that the defendant failed to report the disappearance of a child to an

appropriate law enforcement agency.

“Disappearance of such child” means that the parent, guardian or person does not know the

location of the child and has not had contact with the child for a twenty-four-hour period.

An appropriate law enforcement agency is a local, state or federal law enforcement agency

having jurisdiction over the location at which the child was last seen or known to be present.

Element 4 – Knowingly

The fourth element is that the defendant knowingly failed to report the child’s disappearance to

an appropriate law enforcement agency.

A person acts “knowingly” with respect to conduct or a circumstance when (he/she) is aware that

(his/her) conduct is of such nature or that such circumstance exists. <See Knowledge, Instruction

2.3-3.>

Conclusion

In summary, the state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that 1) the defendant was (the

child’s parent / the child’s guardian / a person who had custody or control or provided

supervision over the child), 2) the child was under the age of twelve, 3) the defendant failed to

report the disappearance of such child to an appropriate law enforcement agency and 4) the

defendant did so knowingly.

If you unanimously find that the state has proved beyond a reasonable doubt each of the elements

of knowingly failing to report the disappearance of a child to an appropriate law enforcement

agency, then you shall find the defendant guilty. On the other hand, if you unanimously find that

the state has failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt any of the elements, you shall then find

the defendant not guilty.