Sweden mulls prison for young teens as violent crime rises
Key takeaways
- In the fight against escalating gang crime, Sweden's parliament will vote on plans to hold 13-year-olds criminally responsible and, in serious cases, imprison them.
- But in Sweden, young teenagers are being recruited by criminal networks to carry out attacks and contract killings — even shooting people in broad daylight.
- Under Swedish law, those under the age of 15 are not criminally liable, a fact that is being exploited by organized crime and gang members who often operate out of sight.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
In the fight against escalating gang crime, Sweden's parliament will vote on plans to hold 13-year-olds criminally responsible and, in serious cases, imprison them. Other European nations are also lowering age limits.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Eu UEIn its battle against rising gang violence and organized crime, Sweden wants to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13 on a trial basis [Illustrative photo]Image: Oliver Berg/dpa/picture-alliance Advertisement Children aged 13 and 14 should still be in school. But in Sweden, young teenagers are being recruited by criminal networks to carry out attacks and contract killings — even shooting people in broad daylight.
Under Swedish law, those under the age of 15 are not criminally liable, a fact that is being exploited by organized crime and gang members who often operate out of sight. Under current laws, children cannot be convicted as criminals, but instead fall under the jurisdiction of social services and youth welfare.