A major social stepping stone for Italy, unheard of even a couple of decades ago, but most significantly, a nail in the coffin of patriarchial stereotypes and gender inequalities, as femicide becomes a separate crime, with another Mediterranean country, once deeply rooted in such racist anachronisms, following in the footsteps of Cyprus, Croatia and Malta.
Italian MPs unanimously voted to introduce femicide as a separate legislation punishable by life imprisonment. Symbolically and as a mark of respect to women who died or suffered in the hands of abusers, the bill was approved on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
The idea of introducing separate femicide legislation had been floated in the recent past, following the murder of Julia Cecchetti by her former partner Filippo Turetta on November 11th 2023.
Turetta killed Julia, wrapped her body in plastic bags and disposed of it near a lake. The gruesome act made headlines until the perpetrator was eventually arrested, but what made a difference and drove Italian society to demand a change, was Julia's sister. who launched a fierce, determined campaign.
'The killer was not a monster, but the 'healthy child' of a deeply patriarchal society', she said.
More than two years later, MPs heeded the social call and voted to make femicide a separate crime, one of the few countries across the world to realise this distinction.
Relevant legislation was introduced by Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and supported across the aisle during discussion and voting, with many wearing red armbands or jackets to honour the victims of violence.
'Femicides will be classified, studied in their real framework and circumstances, they will become visible', judge Paola Di Nicola noted as one of the writers of the new legislation.
She was part of a panel of expert that had previously looked into 211 recent killings of women, finding common characteristics in all of them.
'The definition of such crimes as a result of 'passion' or 'jealousy' is misleading and merely a representation of romantic, socially acceptable terms;', the judge added, indicating that Italy will be the first country in Europe to expose the real motive of male gender criminals, 'hierarchy and power'.
Other EU member states that have incorporated a legal definition of femicide in their penal codes, include Cyprus, Croatia and Malta.
The Italian law will include murders that constitute acts of hatred, discrimination, domination, control or submission of a woman as a woman or additionally, which happen when she 'separates from a man' or to 'limit her individual freedoms'.
A BBC report