Italy criminalises femicide, sets life sentence for gender-based killings

Italy’s parliament has formally added femicide to its criminal code, making the deliberate killing of women and girls because of their gender a standalone crime punishable by life imprisonment.

The bill passed unanimously on Tuesday, a move Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hailed as a moment of unity. It reflects what she called “political cohesion against the barbaric nature of violence against women”, according to public broadcaster RAI.

Meloni’s government has backed the legislation from the start, alongside other measures such as anti-stalking laws. Lawmakers are also debating a separate bill that would outlaw sexual intercourse without “free and actual consent”.

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

The vote coincided with the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, adding symbolic weight to the decision.

Italy recorded 106 femicides last year, with 62 committed by a partner or former partner, according to national statistics cited by AP. The figures mirror a broader global pattern, with UN Women reporting that nearly two-thirds of female homicide victims worldwide are killed by a partner or family member.

The issue has struck a raw national nerve since November 2023, when 22-year-old university student Giulia Cecchettin was brutally murdered by her boyfriend, who was later sentenced to life in prison.

However, rights groups argue the government’s approach is unbalanced. The feminist movement Non Una di Meno says Meloni’s administration focuses too heavily on punishment and not enough on prevention. The group is calling for stronger investment in “sexual and emotional education” and the “economic wellbeing of women”.

Italy remains one of the few EU countries without mandatory sexual education in public schools, and many programmes still require parental consent, a gap critics say undermines long-term change.