EU VICTIMS DIRECTIVE, PIAZZONI (ARCIGAY): "IMPORTANT STEP, BUT ITALIAN GOVERNMENT REMAINS ABSENT. NATIONAL REGULATIONS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY."“
Bologna, May 22, 2026 Yesterday, the European Parliament definitively approved, with 440 votes in favor, the revision of the Victims' Rights Directive. The new regulatory framework strengthens support, protection, and access to justice for millions of people living in EU countries, with particular attention to vulnerable victims, minors, victims of sexual violence, and victims of crimes committed through digital means. For the first time, the directive explicitly includes victims with specific needs including those suffering violence related to their sexual orientation and gender identity.
“"The European Parliament's approval of the updated directive on the rights of victims of crime," comments Gabriele Piazzoni, Secretary General of Arcigay, "represents an important step also for LGBTQIA+ people who are victims of hate and discrimination. Some of the innovations introduced by this directive correspond to what our country has failed to pass at the national level, as in the case of the Zan Bill. It is sad to note how rights often advance not through the political will of the Italian government and parliament, but thanks to court rulings or the action of European institutions. The Italian government and parliament remain shamefully absent, while victims of hate continue to pay the price of a regulatory vacuum that Europe is currently trying to partially fill. This result was also made possible by the commitment of the Honorable Alessandro Zan, who brought the issue of LGBTQIA+ people who are victims of hate to Parliament. Now the ball is back in the court of Italian institutions, which we urge to quickly translate the directive into effective national legislation: training for law enforcement, strengthening anti-violence centers." and specific protocols for LGBTQIA+ victims. Victims of hate have the right to concrete protection, not just verbal protection,” Piazzoni concludes.
