Higher penalties for femicide
The bill to prevent and combat femicide is in Parliament and has passed the Senate.
Mihai Pelin, 03.02.2026, 14:00
The Senate in Bucharest adopted by majority vote the bill on the prevention and combat of femicide and the violence that precedes it. Initiated by a group of over 250 parliamentarians from across the political spectrum, the law legally defines femicide, in accordance with European regulations, provides for the annual collection and publication of data on femicide and the violence that precedes it, ensures real protection for orphans of femicide, recognized as direct victims, with immediate protection measures, and establishes aggravating penalties when violence occurs in the presence of minors.
According to the draft, “femicide is the intentional killing of a woman, as well as the death of a woman resulting from blows or injuries causing death, or other crimes committed with violence, regardless of whether the acts are committed by a family member or a third party”. One of the initiators of this law, Liberal MP Alina Gorghiu, stated that women in Romania die because the laws are not applied and warnings are ignored. She emphasised several provisions of the law. Alina Gorghiu: “First of all, it legally defines femicide. We did not have this definition and I think it helps us a lot. Second, it obliges the state to collect information, public data, clear data on the violence that precedes femicide. Third, it protects children left behind in a femicide, recognizing them as direct victims and aggravating the penalties when this violence takes place in the presence of minors.”
Other provisions aim to strengthen the criminal response by severely sanctioning gender-motivated acts and violence that precede murder, as well as education for prevention, by introducing gender equality, non-violent relationships and combating violence in schools. The normative act also stipulates that, in cases of gender violence, criminal action may be initiated ex officio, without the need for a prior complaint.
In opposition, AUR announced that it would vote in favor of the draft law, but senator Cristina Dumitrescu drew attention to the fact that there is over-legislation in this area. In turn, her colleague from USR, Simona Spătaru, highlighted that “femicide may be sanctioned with life imprisonment, given the numerous cases in which aggressors released from detention recidivated, killing again after a few years”.
PNL senator Maria Horga also stressed the need for a law to combat femicide, because over 500 women have been killed by their partners in the last 11 years, and Victoria Stoiciu from the PSD explained that the law will save lives “if rigorously applied”. The draft law on the prevention and combating of femicide and the violence that precedes it is to be debated by the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this case. (EE)
