Public safety and juvenile crime: Decree Law 190 comes into force

Decree-Law No. 190 of October 22, 2026, is in effect as of today, October 23, 2026, the day following its publication in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, General Series No. 246 of October 22, 2026. The text introduces new criminal offenses for organized violence during demonstrations, administrative sanctions for the parents of minors involved, the extension of the police chief’s oral warning to minors, and 500 additional military personnel in Milan until December 31, 2026.

Titled “Urgent provisions regarding public security and the fight against juvenile crime” and identified by reference 26G00214, the decree was adopted by the Council of Ministers during the meeting on October 20, 2026. Article 10 sets its entry into force for the day following publication and provides for its presentation to the Chambers for conversion into law; Article 8 justifies the military measure citing the “serious incidents that occurred in the city of Milan.” The measure bears the signatures of:

• Mattarella, President of the Republic;
• Meloni, President of the Council of Ministers;
• Piantedosi, Minister of the Interior;
• Nordio, Minister of Justice;
• Crosetto, Minister of Defense;
• Giorgetti, Minister of Economy and Finance.

New criminal offenses for demonstrations

Article 1 intervenes in the penal code with six amendments. The most significant is the introduction of Article 420-bis, which punishes “organized violence in public demonstrations”:

• imprisonment from two to five years and a fine from 10,000 to 20,000 euros for anyone who, in a group of at least five people organized even occasionally, uses sticks, clubs, or blunt objects, or throws objects, rockets, firecrackers, or devices nebulizing irritating gases;
• an increase from one-third to one-half if the act is committed by disguised individuals or if the objects are directed against energy, transport, or telecommunications infrastructure, or assets intended for public functions;
• imprisonment from four to twelve years for anyone who organizes or promotes the group, or incites or instigates such conduct.

The decree then inserts Article 635.1, which increases the penalty by one-third to one-half for damage committed by an organized group of at least five people, and increases penalties by the same measure for devastation and looting (Article 419) and for attacks on public utility plants (Article 420) when the acts occur during demonstrations. Article 2 extends the arrest in flagrante delicto under Article 382-bis of the code of criminal procedure to these new crimes.

Sanctioned parents and oral warnings to minors

Article 5 introduces an administrative sanction for those exercising parental responsibility over a minor who participates in the aforementioned events:

• from 500 to 1,000 euros for the first violation;
• from 1,000 to 2,000 euros in case of repetition;
• unless the parent proves that they were unable to prevent the act.

The prefect may report to the juvenile court the opportunity to activate personalized educational support projects and order the payment of compensation for damages to assets of the State, the Regions, or local authorities; the opposition is filed within forty days before the court of the place of residence.

Article 6 amends the anti-mafia code (legislative decree 6 September 2011, n. 159): the police chief (questore) may issue an oral warning with a ban on gathering with certain persons in identified public places, for a maximum duration of one year, against those who have already received similar measures or have been convicted of crimes against the person or property. The measure may also be addressed to minors who have reached fourteen years of age. On the procedural level, Article 3 removes from the Presidential Decree 22 September 1988, n. 448 the reference to imputability among the judge’s findings and allows for the acquisition of elements on the matter; Article 1 provides that, in the cases considered, the minor’s capacity to understand and will is presumed until proven otherwise.

Five hundred military personnel in Milan and financial coverage

Article 8 provides that, until 31 December 2026, the Armed Forces contingent deployed in Milan pursuant to Article 1, paragraph 625, of Law 30 December 2024, n. 207 shall be increased by 500 units. For implementation, an expenditure of 4,933,831 euros is authorized for 2026, covered by a reduction of the current part special fund of the Ministry of Economy and Finance and by the allocation relating to the Ministry of Defence, which may resort to the emergency procedures of Articles 140 and 140-bis of legislative decree 31 March 2023, n. 36. Article 9 contains the financial invariance clause for other administrations.

Juvenile justice and validation timelines

Article 4 adds a paragraph to Article 110 of Royal Decree 30 January 1941, n. 12 which, in the event of incidents affecting public order with a significant number of arrests in flagrante delicto, requires the assignment of magistrates within twenty-four hours of the request from the head of the judicial office, without waiting for the opinion of the judicial council. Article 7 extends the escort and detention at police offices, provided for by Article 11-bis of decree-law 21 March 1978, n. 59, to police operations in places with a high flow of people.

For readers, the change is immediate: the new criminal offenses and sanctions for parents apply from October 23, 2026, while the additional deployment of 500 soldiers in Milan remains fixed until the end of the year. The framework, however, is still provisional and will be submitted to a vote by the Chambers for conversion into law.

Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, General series no. 246 of October 22, 2026 — DECREE-LAW October 22, 2026, no. 190, “Urgent provisions regarding public security and the fight against juvenile crime,” reference 26G00214.