Presenting this analysis to legislators, the president of the Independent National Observatory on Orphans of Femicide, Stefania Bartoccetti, stated at the hearing convened by the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry on Femicide that many of these children “have suffered violence for years.”

“We must provide them with legal and psychological support to regain their trust, to be able to intervene and heal pain as profound as the loss of a mother, and guarantee them a safe educational path,” Bartoccetti stated.

During 2024, more than 100 such crimes were recorded in Italy, while since the beginning of this year, more than fifteen victims have been reported, the report states.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella recently expressed in regards to these events that it is a behavior “that has no justification, rooted in inequalities, gender stereotypes, and cultures that tolerate or minimize abuse, which often also occurs within the family.”

“What has been done so far is not enough to protect women, even the youngest, whose rights continue to be violated,” the president noted, emphasizing that it is “essential to continue working to eradicate prejudices and discriminatory attitudes” with the support of institutions and civil society forces.

“There are no acceptable excuses to justify gender-based violence,” and in the face of this, “concrete actions are needed,” the Italian head of state added.

On March 8th, as part of the International Women’s Day celebrations, the Italian government announced the approval of a bill that criminalizes femicide, punishable by life imprisonment, and introduces aggravating factors with increased sentences for other gender-based crimes.

abo/llp/mem/ort