In the second round of debate, Costa Rica's Legislative Assembly Thursday passed a law that significantly increases penalties for those convicted of violent acts against women, from verbal insults to murder, the daily La Nación reported Friday.

The law punishes men convicted of killing their partners with 20-35 years in prison, while those convicted of rape spend 12-18 years in jail and those who “insult, ridicule or intimidate” their partners get a six-month to two-year sentence.

This year marked the sixth the assembly has discussed the bill. During the previous five years, it was approved in the first round of debate only to be sent to the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court (Sala IV) by assembly members who cited flaws in the legislative process and claimed the bill discriminates by singling out women as victims (TT, Dec. 17, 2004).

Although at least one legislator, Mario Quirós of the Libertarian Movement, had previously told the press he would once again complain before the court, he failed to obtain the necessary 10 signatures to do so, La Nación reported.

Meanwhile, women legislators who supported the bill celebrated their victory, including Mayi Antillón of the National Liberation Party (PLN), Elizabeth Fonseca of the Citizen Action Party (PAC), Ana Elena Chacón of the Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) and Evita Arguedas of the Libertarian Movement.

Support for the bill gained momentum after a slew of women were shot by their husbands at the end of last month. Last year, 30 women were killed by their partners, and the National Institute for Women (INAMU) attends to “dozens” of calls from victims of domestic violence each week, the wire service ACAN-EFE reported.