Réka Petneházi: New Perspectives on Combating Violence Against Women: An Overview of the Italian and Romanian Legislation on Femicide. Nr. 2026/8.

The recognition of femicide as a criminal offense is a recent development in the European Union. According to a study published by Global Human Rights Defense in March 2022, none of the European Union member states’ criminal codes contained provisions specifically addressing femicide. Nowadays, numerous EU member states’ legal system include the legal concept of femicide, and we can even observe the criminalisation of femicide in our close vicinity (e.g., Romania, Croatia). As a result of the harmonization of EU legislation and the new amendments to the criminal codes of several Member States, there is a possibility for femicide to be incorporated into Hungarian criminal legislation, hence it is particularly important to monitor such legislative trends in neighboring countries.

The study aims to present possible directions for EU-level legislation, as well as the latest developments in national criminal law regarding femicide, specifically the new Romanian and Italian ‘femicide laws’. To illustrate the expected legislative trends at an EU-level, I present the key provisions of the VAW Directive and the Gender Equality Strategy for 2026 – 2030. Additionally, I review the Italian and Romanian ‘femicide laws’ which have recently entered into force. Both laws aim to prevent lethal violence against women through comprehensive, multidisciplinary measures.  The amendments of the Romanian Criminal Code are reminiscent of Hungarian legal thinking; thus, a more in-depth examination of the new aggravated cases in Romania could provide valuable insights for Hungarian lawmakers. Furthermore, the legislative packages presented contain useful provisions regarding data collection, prevention, and victim protection, making it worthwhile to incorporate them into Hungarian legislation.

Link words: femicide, homicide, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, gender-based violence, criminal law

The working paper is available for download here.