The European Court of Human
Rights on Tuesday condemned Italy for failing to provide legal
recognition for same-sex couples, and said the State must remedy
that with new legislative measures.
The Strasbourg judges denounced Italy for violating the
rights of three same-sex couples by not recognizing their
unions, and thus failing to respect their legal and human
rights.
"The legal protection currently available in Italy to
same-sex couples...not only failed to provide for the core needs
relevant to a couple in a stable and committed relationship, but
it was also not sufficiently reliable," the human rights court
said in its ruling.
The court also ordered the State to pay damages of 5,000
euros to each of the three gay couples who brought the case
against Italy to Strasbourg.
Premier Matteo Renzi has said his government would
introduce laws on same-sex unions this year.
In February, Italy's highest appeals court rejected
same-sex marriage, saying there was nothing in the Constitution
that requires the government to extend marriage rights to gays.
However, the Cassation Court added then that homosexuals
have the right to a "protective" law that would ensure same-sex
couples have the same rights as unmarried Italian couples.
Neither same-sex marriage nor civil unions between same-sex
partners are legally recognized in Italy but some cities,
including Rome, have a civil union register.
The three couples in the case have been together for years,
living in Trento, Milan and Lissone, and all had asked their
municipalities to recognize their marriages.
The European Parliament in March called on EU member
States that have not already done so, to recognise civil unions
and same-sex marriage as a civil and human right.
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