Mayhem (crime)
Criminal offense consisting of the intentional maiming of another person / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Mayhem (from Anglo-French maiuhem, from Old French mahaigne ("injury, damage, wrong, etc."), cognate to maim)[1] is a common law criminal offense consisting of the intentional maiming of another person.
Under the law of England and Wales and other common law jurisdictions, it originally consisted of the intentional and wanton removal of a body part that would handicap a person's ability to defend themselves in combat. Under the strict common law definition, initially this required damage to an eye or a limb, while cutting off an ear or the nose was not deemed to be sufficiently disabling. In the many years since, the meaning of the crime expanded to encompass any type of mutilation, disfigurement, or crippling act done using any instrument.