Sweden lowers age of criminal responsibility to curb gang violence

The Swedish parliament has approved lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 14 as part of broader efforts to combat gang violence in the Scandinavian country.

Under the law, 14-year-olds will face criminal prosecution and imprisonment for serious offences, including murder, aggravated rape and aggravated weapons offences. 

The measure will take effect on September 10, 2026, just three days before the pivotal general election that will test the conservative government. 

According to public broadcaster SVT, parliament overwhelmingly approved the move by 281 votes to 66, with two lawmakers absent.

Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson hailed the move, emphasising that lowering the age of criminal responsibility was a “step in the right direction.”

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Govt scraps plan to punish 13-year-olds 

Sweden initially planned to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13 and establish specialised prison cells for violent offenders called “special prison units.”

However, the centre-right administration ultimately scrapped the plan in June due to a lack of parliamentary support.

Justice Minister Gunnar Stroemmer said the government decided to drop the proposal rather than risk a parliamentary vote that could have left the existing system in place, which could worsen the country’s crime-related problems in the long run.

The Ulf Kristersson-led government currently has only a slim majority of 176 out of 349 seats following the September 2022 general elections, meaning broader consensus is required to pass legislation.

Sweden faces surge in gang violence, crimes 

The move comes as Sweden grapples with rising gang violence while seeking to prevent criminal groups from recruiting young people.

Data from the Swedish Police Authority’s 2025 situation report showed that an estimated 17,500 active gang criminals and 50,000 individuals were linked to gang-related violence, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

Police said the figures had risen from 14,000 active gang members and 48,000 individuals linked to criminal networks in 2024.

Aside from increasing gang violence, authorities observed that major gangs such as Foxtrot have used teenagers for criminal activities, including shooting rival group members and detonating explosives, the BBC reported.

Separate data from the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention showed that the country recorded 121 homicide cases in 2023, compared with 87 a decade earlier.

Differing views 

Stroemmer expressed optimism that the reform would help reverse the situation and ensure offenders are held accountable under the law. 

“By lowering the age of criminal responsibility…fairer and proportionate sanctions can be imposed, and we will be able to create better conditions for rehabilitation than today,” he said, as quoted by Reuters. 

However, several child rights groups voiced strong opposition to the move, emphasising that it is not the right way to tackle the issue.

Anna Dorian from the Children’s Rights in Society (Bris) organisation argued that there is no evidence that lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 14 would reduce crime, Sweden Herald reported.

Others also noted that the move may be counterproductive as it could encourage criminal organisations to recruit even younger children, potentially worsening the problem in the long run.

Calls for early intervention, systemic reforms 

In response, Bris urged the government and other relevant authorities to take “earlier interventions and right support” to ensure that young offenders receive the necessary help.

The group also called on the government to further strengthen youth homes nationwide, which provide compulsory care and treatment for minors and young adults with psychosocial problems and criminal behaviour.

Similarly, the United Nations Children’s Fund Sweden stressed that the government must prioritise providing adequate support and proper treatment to delinquent juveniles instead of imposing harsher penalties.

“Even at an early age, when a crime has been committed, society must be able to meet up and provide children with care, support, and treatment rather than repression and punishment,” it said. 

The divided views over lowering the age of criminal responsibility reflect the challenge of balancing efforts to combat gang violence with giving young offenders an opportunity for rehabilitation and redemption.

Whether the reform proves effective in curbing gang violence without creating new challenges remains to be seen.

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