An advisory commission in Sweden has proposed that the government temporarily introduce stricter criminal responsibility for serious crimes starting at the age of 14.
On Tuesday, a report was published by a special commission established in 2023 to study the criminal liability of minors in the context of modern conditions. Experts suggested not changing the general age of criminal responsibility, which has been set at 15 years since the 19th century. However, they recommend allowing the prosecution of teenagers aged 14 for particularly serious crimes or attempted crimes punishable by at least four years of imprisonment.
According to the recommendations, punishments for teenagers should be the same as those for adults, except for life imprisonment.
The commission justified its conclusions by pointing to the growing number of serious crimes committed by young people, emphasizing the need to address this issue in the interest of justice for victims. The proposed changes are intended to be introduced for a five-year period to assess their effectiveness.
Last year, cooperation between the Swedish and Danish police intensified due to an increase in cases of Swedish teenagers being recruited for criminal tasks in Copenhagen. For example, in November, a 16-year-old from Sweden was convicted in Denmark for preparing a contract killing. Additionally, explosions near the Israeli embassy in Copenhagen in October were carried out by Swedish teenagers.
