Honduras adopts stricter femicide penalties in penal code reforms

Honduran legislators approved amendments to the Penal Code that increase penalties for femicide, including lifetime imprisonment for perpetrators. Lawmakers said the changes aim to send a strong message against gender‑based violence and improve state response. Experts highlighted that roughly 240 women are killed violently each year in Honduras, with about 95 % of cases remaining impunity‑free, and three‑quarters of these murders involve firearms. The reforms also introduce new investigative and prosecutorial mechanisms. In response, attorney Fernando González announced he will file a constitutional challenge, arguing the measures violate equality provisions under the national Constitution and the American Convention on Human Rights.

The debate, aired on the program 30|30, featured officials from the National Observatory on Violence, a congressional commission member, and human‑rights advocates, who discussed both the intended deterrent effect and concerns about the reforms' legal scope.