Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has signed a new law that carries tough sentences for gender-related killings of women and girls.
The law introduced Monday sets a prison sentence of 12 to 30 years for anyone convicted of killing a woman or girl in domestic violence, or because of her gender. It also describes those killings as femicides.
Even longer sentences can be set in the killing of a woman who is pregnant or recently gave birth, girls under 14, women who are over 60 or disabled, and killings committed in the presence of the victim’s child or parent.
Rousseff says that 15 women are killed daily in Brazil, many through domestic violence.
Associated Press