The Chamber of Deputies passed the law with 432 votes in favor and just one abstention after a three-year passage through parliament. Chamber speaker Laura Boldrini said after the vote: ‘We dedicate this law to Carolina Picchio and all the other victims of cyberbullying.’ Miss Picchio, 14, threw herself from a third-floor window after cyber bullies circulated a sexually explicit video of her that they had filmed with their mobile telephones at a party.

Defines cyber-bullying

The legislation does a numner of key things including providing a specific legal definition of cyber-bullying and requiring all schools to educate pupils to use the Internet responsibly. Schoold must also have a member of staff responsible for tackling the problem. Essentially, the new law makes it illegal to use the Internet to offend, slander, threaten or steal the identity of a minor. It also allows the victim or their parent to demand that websites hosting abusive content remove it within 48 hours.