The Swedish government said Monday it is moving forward with a hotly contested bill to lower the age of criminal responsibility for serious crimes from 15 to 13, allowing for prison sentences in certain cases.
Several authorities, including police, prison officials and prosecutors, have opposed the plans.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer told a news conference that it was not a “general lowering of the age of criminal responsibility.”
“Instead, we are talking about a reduction for the most serious crimes, such as murder, attempted murder, aggravated bombings, serious weapons offenses and aggravated rape,” Strommer said.
The Scandinavian country has been struggling for more than a decade to contain a rise in organized violent crime, mainly linked to score-settling between rival gangs and the battle for control of the drug market.
The networks have increasingly recruited young people under the age of 15 to carry out bombings and shootings, knowing they will not face jail time if caught.
In January 2025, a government-ordered inquiry proposed lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years.
But in September the government announced plans to reduce the number to 13, sending the bill for input from 126 authorities and organizations.
A majority of respondents were critical of the proposal or outright against it.
At the time, police said lowering the age risked “significantly younger children than now becoming involved in criminal networks.”
Others pointed out that the prison system is not equipped to deal with such young offenders, saying it risks violating children’s rights.
Strommer said Monday that he had noted the criticism, but said the situation had become more urgent.
“We are in an emergency. The measures we take must reflect the seriousness of the situation,” he said.
He added that the change would be introduced temporarily, with a validity of five years.
The bill would first be sent to the Swedish Legislative Council, which examines bills that the government wants to submit to parliament.
Strommer said they planned to have the legislation go into effect this summer.
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