Femicide will soon become its own distinct criminal offence after parliament unanimously approved legislation to add it as an aggravating offence to the Criminal Code. 

The bill now requires the signature of President George Vella to become law. Under the new law, a homicide will be considered femicide if the victim is a woman and killed because she is a woman.

“I am proud to have delivered the first law of this legislature, and I thank all those involved,’ Justice Minister Jonathan Attard said on social media. 

The drive to make femicide an aggravating offence began in the wake of the rape and murder of Paulina Dembska and other shocking murders of women in the country.

Still, the bill has been somewhat controversial with some arguing that femicide is already criminalised as homicide and that there cannot be stricter penalties than life imprisonment.

Some changes were also made to the bill during parliament, most notably that the perpetrator can be of any gender. A crime of passion will also no longer be considered an acceptable excuse in the eyes of the court.

What do you think of the new law?