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France's parliament is due to vote on a bill intended to protect victims of domestic violence.

The legislation would allow doctors to break patient confidentiality when they believe the life of a victim is "in immediate danger".

The text also increases the penalties for harassment within couples.

France has one of the highest rates of murders linked to domestic violence in Western Europe. Last year, 149 women were killed as a result, reports say.

The bill was approved last week by the National Assembly, and is going before the Senate on Tuesday afternoon.

As well as permitting health professionals to break confidentiality in extreme cases, the proposed law also increases prison sentences to 10 years for perpetrators whose actions led the victim to commit suicide or to attempt to commit suicide.

In order to protect children, it also opens up the possibility of suspending parental authority in case of domestic violence.

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Last year, 149 women were said to have died as a result of domestic violence, the new Minister for Gender Equality, Elisabeth Moreno, told deputies last week, quoting figures from advocacy groups.

Since the start of 2020, at least 39 women have been killed by their spouse or former spouse, according to a tally kept by the AFP news agency.

Some advocacy groups activists have previously argued that the government measures do not amount to very much or lack the funding to be truly effective.

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