Murder (Romanian law)

According to the Romanian penal code, a person can face a penalty ranging from 10 to 25 years or life imprisonment for murder. There are also mandatory restrictions of some constitutional rights for all types of intentional murder.

Degrees of murder

• Murder (3rd degree — 10 to 20 years). Killing a person when no aggravating circumstances apply.
• Qualified murder (2nd degree — 15 to 25 years). Aggravating circumstances:

a) with premeditation

b) concerning a material interest

c) against spouse or close relative

d) taking advantage of victim's impossibility of self-defense

e) when putting in danger the lives of multiple persons

f) concerning job attributions of the victim

g) for facilitating or hiding another crime

h) in public

• Extremely grave murder (1st degree — 15 to 25 years or life imprisonment). Aggravating circumstances:

a) committed in a cruel way

b) against two or more persons

c) by a person who had already committed a murder

d) in order to hide a robbery

e) against a pregnant woman

f) by or against a policeman, gendarme, magistrate or soldier (in connection with their public duties)

• Negligent or accidental murder (1 to 5 years in simple form). Aggravating circumstances:

a) Caused by a professional in connection with his job for not respecting the legal dispositions (2 to 7 years)

b) By a vehicle driver with blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above legal limits or in a drunk state (5 to 15 years)

c) By a professional in a drunk state - in connection with his job duties (5 to 15 years)

d) When causing the death of two or more persons (5 to 15 years)

• Infanticide (2 to 7 years).