Italy’s parliament has voted unanimously to classify femicide — the gender-motivated killing of a woman — as a distinct criminal offence, punishable by life imprisonment.
The landmark decision came on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, underscoring the symbolic weight of the reform.
Although discussions around a femicide law had circulated for years, momentum surged following the 2023 murder of 22-year-old Giulia Cecchettin by her former boyfriend, a case that shocked the nation. The brutality of her killing and the emotional public response—particularly the powerful speech by her sister, Elena—sparked nationwide protests led largely by feminist groups demanding systemic change.
In a rare moment of unity, lawmakers from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government and opposition parties voted together to approve the bill. Many MPs wore red ribbons or jackets in honour of victims of gender-based violence.
Under the new law, Italy will formally classify and document every gender-motivated killing of a woman as femicide. Judge Paola di Nicola, who helped shape the legislation after reviewing more than 200 cases of murdered women, said the reform will expose the true roots of these crimes.
She stressed that killings often described as acts of “passion,” “jealousy,” or “love gone wrong” are actually manifestations of power and control.
“This law finally forces us to recognise the real motivation behind these crimes,” she said. “Femicide will exist—and it will be understood within its true context of hierarchy and power.”
Italy now joins a small number of countries that legally define femicide as a separate category of homicide.
