Historic Unity in Rome: Italian Parliament 630 MPs Unanimously Approves Landmark Law Recognising Femicidio as a Standalone Crime
Italy’s parliament has voted unanimously to introduce femicide as a standalone criminal offence, marking a major shift in how violence against women is prosecuted and understood. The vote took place on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, giving symbolic weight to a reform that lawmakers had debated for years.
The murder of 22 year old Giulia Cecchettin in late 2023, killed by her former boyfriend and left by a lakeside, galvanised the country and accelerated political momentum behind the bill. The response from her sister, Elena, who described the killer as the “healthy son” of a society steeped in patriarchy, brought thousands onto the streets and helped reset the national conversation.
A rare legal step in Europe
After a long and often emotional parliamentary session, MPs approved the law, making Italy one of the few countries in Europe to classify femicide as a distinct crime. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni introduced the legislation, which secured support from her hard right government and all opposition parties. Many lawmakers wore red ribbons or red clothing in tribute to victims of gender based violence.
From now on, Italian authorities will record every killing of a woman motivated by her gender as femicide. The new offence carries an automatic life sentence.
Judge Paola di Nicola, one of the experts behind the legislation, said the law will finally allow Italy to recognise and analyse femicide for what it is. “Femicides will be classified, they will be studied in their real context, they will exist,” she said. She argued that describing such crimes as acts of jealousy or misguided passion masks the reality that they stem from hierarchy and power.
Italy joins Cyprus, Malta and Croatia in introducing a legal definition of femicide. There is still no globally agreed definition, making comparisons difficult.
Under the Italian law, femicide covers murders driven by hatred, discrimination, domination, control or subjugation of a woman, as well as killings that occur when a woman ends a relationship or refuses to comply with restrictions on her freedom.
Police data shows 116 women were killed in Italy last year, with 106 believed to have been targeted because they were women. These cases would now fall under the femicide category.
Families say the law is important, but not enough
Giulia’s father, Gino Cecchettin, welcomed the national conversation but questioned whether the law alone could have saved his daughter. Her killer already received a life sentence under existing statutes.
“Before, many people did not want to hear the word femicide,” he told the BBC. “Now we can speak about it. It is a small step, but it is a step.”
His focus now is on education. After Giulia’s death, he founded a preventive foundation in her name and began visiting schools to talk about respect, relationships and emotional awareness. He argues that many young men still internalise harmful stereotypes about masculinity and struggle to process rejection or loss.
“If we give them the right tools, they will not act like Filippo,” he said, referring to his daughter’s killer. “They will not cling to the model of the Superman or the Macho Man.”
The foundation wants mandatory emotional and sexual education in schools, starting earlier than the optional programmes currently permitted. Far right MPs have resisted compulsory lessons for younger children.
Support and criticism
The femicide bill has critics. Some legal scholars argue it is unnecessary and may be difficult to enforce. Law professor Valeria Torre from Foggia University said the definition is too vague and risks creating loopholes. She believes most cases are already covered under existing homicide laws and that resources would be better spent tackling structural inequality.
“I am afraid the government just wants to persuade people it is doing something,” she said. “What we really need is more economic investment to overcome inequality.”
Campaigners agree that legislation alone will not dismantle the cultural roots of gender based violence. At the Museum of the Patriarchy, a new exhibition in Rome created by Action Aid Italy, Italy’s shortcomings are laid bare. The country ranks 85th in the Global Gender Gap Index, one of the lowest positions in the EU. Only just over half of Italian women are in employment.
“For us, the way to fight violence against women is to prevent the violence,” said Fabiana Costantino of Action Aid. “And to prevent the violence we have to build equality.”
The exhibition features a loudspeaker replaying street harassment and a room where the names of women killed by men are projected across the walls. Costantino described violence as a pyramid. “We have to destroy the base in order to destroy the problem in its worst form, which is femicide.”
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A moment of political unity
Parliament’s lengthy session ended late on Tuesday with a final declaration from a governing party MP that violence against women “will not be tolerated and will not go unpunished.”
The chamber rose in applause as all 237 deputies voted in favour.
Judge Paola di Nicola said the unanimity shows Italy has finally acknowledged the problem. “It shows that Italy is speaking about violence against women having deep roots,” she said. “The first effect is that the country is finally discussing something it has never confronted before.”
