(MENAFN) Italy has formally endorsed new legislation that classifies femicide as a distinct criminal offense punishable by life imprisonment, according to reports from within the country. Lawmakers in the Chamber of Deputies backed the measure with full consensus, a decision that coincided with global observances of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

The move follows the government’s approval earlier this year of a draft proposal that, for the first time, added a clear legal definition of femicide to the national penal code and set the maximum penalty at life in prison.

"I am very pleased with Parliament's approval of the bill introducing the crime of femicide," Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was quoted as saying.

According to additional reporting, data from the National Institute of Statistics indicated that 106 women were killed in femicide cases across the country in 2024—amounting to nearly one every three days.

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