Italy now recognizes the crime of femicide and punishes it with life in prison

Italy's parliament on Tuesday approved a law that introduces femicide into the country’s criminal law and punishes it with life in prison. The law, backed by the conservative government of Premier Giorgia Meloni, comes in response to a series of killings and other violence targeting women in Italy. High-profile cases, such as the 2023 murder of university student Giulia Cecchettin, have been key in widespread public outcry and debate about the causes of violence against women in Italy’s patriarchal culture.