He Croatian Parliament approved this Thursday, March 14, 2024, amendments to the Penal Code that increase the penalties for sexist violence and introduce the crime of femicide, with a minimum of ten years in prison.
The law was approved unanimously, with 135 votes in favor.
The Prime Minister, the Conservative Andrej Plenkovicassured in his speech in Parliament that these legal changes “will send a clear message to society that murdering women and violence against women are not acceptable.”».
According to the approved modifications, any murder committed against a close person or against any other person whom the perpetrator has previously abused will be considered aggravated homicide.
A new criminal offense is introduced for the aggravated homicide of a woman – feminicide – for which a minimum prison sentence of 10 years will be imposed.
The inclusion of feminicide in the Penal Code as the murder of a woman for reasons of gender was supported by non-governmental organizations, such as the Women’s Network of Croatiawhich warned that last year alone nine women were murdered, seven of them by partners or family members.
The prison sentence for rape increases from three to eight years, and the possibility of replacing the sentence with community service has been abolished.
Protection is extended to victims, with the prescription of a minimum distance of 100 meters in restraining orders between the aggressor and the victim.
In case of non-compliance, the Police can arrest the aggressor and the court must decide on preventive detention within 24 hours.
The amendments transfer sexual harassment, until now a misdemeanor, to the sphere of criminal responsibility. EFE
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