The Cypriot Parliament voted on Friday July 8 in favor of a law providing for life imprisonment for the perpetrators of feminicides, while domestic violence recorded on the Mediterranean island is on the rise.
The bill, proposed by Annita Demetriou, the first woman to preside over the Cypriot Parliament, was passed by 38 votes in favor and 4 against.
The island, a member of the European Union with a population of around one million, has recorded 20 feminicides in three years, according to police data.
The latest dates from a month ago when an 84-year-old man killed his 82-year-old wife in the southern city of Limassol.
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In 2019, Cyprus had recorded nine femicides, including five perpetrated by a serial killer who was sentenced to life in prison, according to police.
Two young girls were among his victims.
Cases of violence against women are on the rise, having increased by 67% between 2020 and 2021, according to the same source.