The European Parliament today adopted with 522 votes “for”, 27 votes “against” and 72 votes “abstentions” first-of-its-kind EU rules to combat violence against women and domestic violence, BTA reported. The directive calls for tougher laws against cyberbullying, better support for victims and measures to prevent rape.
The new rules ban female genital mutilation and forced marriage and provide specific guidance on crimes committed online, such as the disclosure of personal information and cyber-flashing.
The legislation will also include a longer list of aggravating circumstances for crimes that carry heavier penalties, such as crimes against public figures, journalists or human rights defenders. The intention to punish the victim of the crime for his gender, sexual orientation, skin color, religion, social origin or political beliefs is also considered an aggravating circumstance.
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The new rules will enter into force twenty days after their publication in the EU’s Official Journal, and member states will have three years to implement the provisions.
Tags: Violence women European Parliament adopted directive genderbased violence
