The difference between assault or other violence and bodily injury It is determined primarily by the consequences of the act, but also by intent and the concrete circumstances. The 90-day threshold for medical care is important, but it is not the only criterion: the law also lists other serious consequences that may trigger Article 194 of the Criminal Code.
Assault or other violence: Article 193 of the Criminal Code
Article 193, paragraph (1) punishes hitting or any act of violence that causes physical suffering with imprisonment from 6 months to 3 years or a fine. If the act causes traumatic injuries or affects health, and the severity is assessed at no more than 90 days of medical care, paragraph (2) provides for imprisonment from 1 to 5 years or a fine.
Special limits are increased by one-third in the cases expressly provided for by law, including when the victim is a minor, the act is committed in public, the victim is under the care of the perpetrator, or the perpetrator possesses a dangerous weapon. The classification and effect of each circumstance depend on the concrete conditions in the Criminal Code.
Physical injury: more serious consequences
Article 194 applies when the act produces at least one of the consequences listed by law: disability, injuries requiring more than 90 days of medical care, serious and permanent aesthetic harm, abortion or endangering the victim’s life. The punishment is imprisonment from 2 to 7 years. If the act was committed with the intent to cause the disability, the injuries lasting more than 90 days, or serious and permanent aesthetic harm, the punishment is from 3 to 10 years; attempted of this form is punishable.
Therefore, 90 days is not a unique rule for every case. Even below this threshold, another consequence among those provided for in Article 194 may change the classification. Conversely, the number of days in medico-legal documents does not alone establish guilt or the form of intent. The medico-legal report is an important evidence, analyzed together with the other evidence.
What role do intent and the evidence have?
For the purpose of delimitation, the mechanism of the aggression, the object used, the area of the body targeted, the intensity and sequence of the blows, the medical-legal statements and conclusions are relevant. The court and judicial bodies determine the classification based on the entire evidence; a serious injury does not automatically prove the intention to cause that outcome. In situations with a life-threatening risk, the possible delimitation from the attempted murder must also be analyzed, separately from the number of days of care.
Domestic violence and other aggravations
Article 193 provides for a one-third increase in the limits for certain expressly listed circumstances, and Article 199 regulates violence against a family member: the special maximum penalty is increased by one-quarter. In the cases provided by law, criminal prosecution for assault can also be initiated ex officio. Separately, Article 1951 It provides for a one-quarter increase in the special limits when the acts indicated by the text are committed as forms of control or domination in a marriage or similar relationship, as well as when an adult commits the acts listed in the presence of a minor. The application of these rules depends on the fulfillment of legal conditions.
Pre-application complaint and verification of eligibility
As a rule, the criminal action for the acts referred to in Article 193 is initiated upon a preliminary complaint. However, the Code provides for exceptions, including for some aggravated forms, for violence against a family member and for acts committed under Article 195.1. The filing, the deadline and the method of notification must be verified in relation to the concrete situation and the law applicable at the time of the act.
Legislative references: Criminal Code, Articles 193–199, consolidated form; Law no. 53/2026, which introduced Article 1951 and amended Articles 195 and 199.
This material is informational in nature. Legal advice is provided on a case-by-case basis based on the evidence presented and the applicable law at the time of the act.
