The Chamber of Deputies has unanimously approved the femicide bill, which becomes law. The measure, which also received bipartisan approval in the Senate this summer, introduces the new Article 577-bis, the crime of femicide, into the Criminal Code.
This is a specific type of homicide that carries a life sentence for anyone who causes the death of a woman through discrimination, hatred, or abuse, or through acts of control, possession, or domination.
Even murder is femicide imposed for the woman's refusal to establish or maintain an emotional relationship or as an act of limitation of her individual freedoms.
The bill includes other legislative measures to combat violence against women and protect victims.
During the vote, opposition MPs made noise in the Chamber by shaking their keys. This was an explicit reference to the Giulia movement, the spontaneous mobilization that followed the death of Giulia Cecchettin. A reference, they explained, to all victims of femicide.
"I am very pleased with Parliament's approval of the bill introducing the crime of femicide," commented Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni: "It is an important sign of political cohesion against the barbaric nature of violence against women. We are adding another tool to those we already have in place."
Meanwhile, there's a clash over the bill on sexual violence: the opposition has walked out of the Senate Justice Committee, which began its examination of the bill containing the provision on women's consent, the result of a bipartisan agreement based on input from Giorgia Meloni and Elly Schlein. They are thus protesting the League's request for a more in-depth examination of the legislation, joined by Brothers of Italy and Forza Italia, which also requested hearings. The opposition had already requested, at the group leaders' conference, a direct vote in the Senate today, also to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which falls today. Senate President Ignazio La Russa joined in.
(Unioneonline/D)