Romanian Justice Ministry proposes life sentences for femicide in Penal Code reform

Romania’s Justice Ministry has launched a public consultation on proposed changes to the Penal Code that would classify femicide (the killing of women because of their gender) as “aggravated murder,” punishable by life imprisonment or up to 25 years in prison, Biziday.ro reported.

The reform would also extend to crimes motivated by race, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, political views, or other forms of identity-based hatred.

Currently, aggravated murder in Romania applies to cases involving premeditation, cruelty, material interest, multiple victims, or the killing of a pregnant woman, with other forms of homicide carrying lighter sentences of up to 20 years.

In a statement, the ministry said it had opened consultations to assess the “need and modalities” of strengthening legal provisions for crimes against life, including femicide.

The move follows growing public debate and protests in recent years after a string of high-profile killings of women, which sparked calls for tougher penalties and stronger state protections.

Under the proposal, the Penal Code would explicitly add a new aggravating circumstance: killing motivated by factors such as gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, chronic illness, or HIV/AIDS status. In such cases, prosecutors would classify the crime as aggravated murder, carrying a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment or 15 to 25 years in prison.

By contrast, manslaughter, which is defined as unintentional killing, would remain punishable by one to five years in prison.

The ministry explained that the reform aims to bring Romanian law in line with international human rights standards and to strengthen protections for vulnerable groups at risk of targeted violence.

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