The Italian deputies unanimously approved this Tuesday a bill that classifies feminicide as a specific crimepunished with life imprisonment.
The new article of the penal code creates a category of homicide “based on the characteristics of the victim,” according to the explanatory note of the initiative.
Until now, Italian law only contemplated aggravating circumstances in cases where the murderer was married or related to the victim.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomed the vote and described the measure as a tool to “defend the freedom and dignity of every woman“.
The government initiative, already approved by the Senate in July, went ahead with 237 votes in favor and none against.
The new article of law establishes the life sentence for acts intended to cause the death of a woman “due to discrimination, hatred or violence”.
Coinciding with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Womenthe UN published a report in which it noted that some 50,000 women and girls died last year at the hands of their partners or family members.
For its part, the National Institute of Statistics (Istat) reported that of the 327 homicides recorded in Italy in 2024, 116 of the victims were women and girls. In 92.2% of the cases, the perpetrators were men.
