by InTrieste
Italy’s lower house of Parliament unanimously approved a measure that classifies femicide — the killing of a woman motivated by gender — as a distinct crime punishable by life imprisonment.
The government-backed legislation, which had garnered broad cross-party support, had already passed the Senate in July. It is expected to enter into force once it receives the signature of Italy’s president, a formality in the country’s lawmaking process.
The law adds a new article to Italy’s criminal code establishing a life sentence for anyone found guilty of killing a woman out of hatred, discrimination, abuse, or coercive control, including acts aimed at restricting her freedom or retaliation for the refusal to begin or continue a romantic relationship. While Italian law has long allowed harsher penalties for murders that qualify as femicide, it had never before recognized the act as a separate offense.
Lawmakers approved the measure on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, a symbolic step underscoring the country’s attempt to address a long-standing and deeply rooted issue.
The move follows a series of high-profile femicides that have shocked Italy in recent years, including the killing of 22-year-old Giulia Cecchettin by a former boyfriend in 2023, a case that reignited national debate on gender-based violence.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday highlighted what she described as her government’s efforts to combat violence against women. These include doubling funding for shelters, expanding awareness campaigns, and promoting the national emergency hotline known as 1522.
“These are concrete steps forward, but we won’t stop here,” Ms. Meloni wrote on X. “We must continue to do much more, every day — to protect, to prevent, to support. To build an Italy in which no woman should ever feel alone, threatened, or not believed.”
The legislation comes as lawmakers also consider redefining sex without consent as rape, part of a broader set of reforms aimed at addressing gender-based violence across the country.
