Femicide becomes "an autonomous criminal offence", a specific crime punishable by the maximum penalty: life imprisonment. The Council of Ministers has given the green light to the bill for the introduction of the crime of femicide and other legislative measures to combat violence against women and to protect victims, on the eve of March 8, International Women's Day.

For Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, having foreseen the crime as an autonomous crime represents «another step forward» in the systemic action that the government has been carrying out «since its inauguration» to combat violence against women. «With the bill - she underlined - we are giving a boost to the fight against the scourge of feminicides». The scourge is the long trail of blood that in 2024 counts a woman killed every three days and in 2025 already has 6 victims. This is happening despite an initial legislative intervention by the government which, among other things, had introduced the deferred arrest in flagrante delicto. The creation of the new crime for the Minister for Equal Opportunities Eugenia Roccella «is truly a disruptive innovation, not only juridically but also on a cultural level» because, she explained, it is «above all an attempt to produce a cultural change». But it is not only against those responsible for feminicides that the government has decided to increase the penalties : the bill provides for aggravating circumstances and increases in penalties for the crimes of personal mistreatment, stalking, sexual violence and revenge porn. And again, for the practices of female genital mutilation that involve many migrants living in Italy.

Harsher penalties also for those who cause permanent facial injuries, such as those caused by acid throwing that has claimed many victims, but also for unintentional homicide, non-consensual termination of pregnancy, stalking and those who force a woman to commit or suffer sexual abuse. The new legislation also includes changes for magistrates: prosecutors will have to listen directly to victims without delegating the hearing to the judicial police and training obligations are also extended to them. The bill also limits access to prison benefits for those who commit red code crimes and introduces the right for victims to be notified of the release from prison of the convicted perpetrator following the granting of reward measures . The new legislation, assured the Minister for Institutional Reforms Elisabetta Casellati, will be "preparatory to the presentation of a consolidated text", on which various ministers are working, which will contain all the provisions regarding women's rights both on the judicial side and on that of female empowerment.

For the Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio, this is "an epochal result" and "a great turning point", also because among the new features there is the attention given to the victim: such as the obligation that she be heard in various phases, from the investigations to the plea bargaining up to the release of her attacker. Her opinion will not be binding but the magistrate will still have to provide, also on the basis of this, the reasons for his decisions. "We are sending a message - concludes the Keeper of the Seals - that it is of particular attention from the State and, from a procedural point of view, greater importance is given to the role of the victim and the family members compared to what was there previously".

(Online Union)

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