Romanian Justice Ministry proposes life in prison for femicide after string of killings

The Romanian Justice Ministry advanced a legislative initiative according to which femicide could be punished with life imprisonment. The proposal comes after numerous women were killed this year by former partners, despite protection orders.

The debate about femicide in Romania was brought back to the fore after another tragedy took place on Saturday, November 9, when a 25-year-old woman, who was with her three-year-old son, was stabbed by her husband in Turnu Măgurele, Teleorman county. The two had separated two months earlier, and the woman had taken out a restraining order against her former partner. The medical team that arrived at the scene tried in vain to resuscitate her.

The authorities later found the 42-year-old man who had tried to take his own life. He was set free by the authorities, even though the woman had pressed charges against him, saying he had kidnapped and raped her.

Checks by the General Prosecutor’s Office began after the killing, targeting the way that Turnu Măgurele magistrates handled the case.

Despite the recent push at the level of the ministry, the proposal for life in prison for femicide is not new. A bill for combating femicide was submitted on October 29 to Parliament, with 273 signatories from all parliamentary parties. According to Social Democratic senator Victoria Stoiciu, the bill is “the legislative initiative with the largest number of signatures in the [democratic] history of the Romanian Parliament,” according to G4Media.

The bill includes provisions regarding detailed data collection for understanding the scale of femicide; the introduction of tools for risk assessment and management by criminal investigation bodies; the inclusion of gender equality education in school curricula; and recognition in the Penal Code of the gravity of femicide acts through the introduction of new provisions in the case of qualified murder.

Over 40 women have been killed in Romania since the beginning of this year, many by former partners. The string of killings caused anger in society. In mid-October, approximately 3,000 people took to the streets in several cities across the country to draw the authorities’ attention to the large number of women victims of violence.

Over 50 non-governmental organizations, including the Filia Center, the Romanian Midwives Association, the Center for Legal Resources, and ActiveWatch, requested that Parliament expedite the process of adopting the bill on the prevention and combating of femicides.

“This year, more than ever, the whole society has witnessed the failure of the authorities regarding women’s safety. In cases of femicide, there has been a history of violence, sometimes known to the authorities or the community, and these femicides could have been prevented,” reads the petition of these organizations.