Italy Formally Recognises Femicide As A Crime, Punishes It With Life In Prison

Italy has officially recognised femicide as a specific crime, with parliament approving a landmark law that introduces life imprisonment for those convicted, in a major step aimed at tackling escalating violence against women.

The vote in the Lower Chamber on Tuesday coincided with the international day for the elimination of violence against women, designated by the UN General Assembly. The bill won bipartisan support, passing with 237 votes in favor from both the center-right majority and the center-left opposition.

Backed by the conservative government of Premier Giorgia Meloni, the law responds to a series of killings and gender-based attacks that have shocked the country. It also strengthens measures against stalking and revenge porn.

High-profile cases, including the 2023 murder of university student Giulia Cecchettin, have driven public outrage and renewed debate over deep-rooted cultural attitudes within Italy’s patriarchal society.

“We have doubled funding for anti-violence centers and shelters, promoted an emergency hotline and implemented innovative education and awareness-raising activities,” Meloni said Tuesday. “These are concrete steps forward, but we won’t stop here. We must continue to do much more, every day.”

While backing the legislation, the center-left opposition argued that the government’s approach focuses too heavily on punishment, failing to address economic and cultural factors that contribute to gender-based violence.

Italy’s statistics agency Istat recorded 106 femicides in 2024, with 62 committed by partners or former partners.

The debate has intensified over whether prevention should begin in schools. A government-backed proposal would ban sexual and emotional education for elementary students and require explicit parental consent for related lessons in high schools.

The ruling coalition defended the proposal as a measure to protect children from ideological influence, but opposition parties and activists have condemned it as “medieval.”

“Italy is one of only seven countries in Europe where sex and relationship education is not yet compulsory in schools, and we are calling for it to be compulsory in all school cycles,” said the head of Italy’s Democratic Party, Elly Schlein. “Repression is not enough without prevention, which can only start in schools.”

Faridah Abdulkadiri