In Sweden, three teenagers have been found guilty for their roles in an attack on the office of an Israeli company. On Monday, April 28, a district court in Gothenburg delivered its verdict regarding the October attack on the office of Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems.
One of the teenagers, who was 15 years old at the time, received a sentence of 20 months in a juvenile correctional facility for incitement to attempted murder. The court ruled that he had encouraged the shooter to fire at the building’s entrance, fully aware of the potential risk to people’s lives. The convicted teenager’s lawyer chose not to comment on the ruling. The other two teenagers were acquitted of the more serious charge of aiding and abetting attempted murder, but were found guilty of lesser offenses, including aiding and abetting threats, violating weapons laws, and involving a minor in a crime.
The fourth participant, who actually fired the shots, was 13 years old at the time and, under Swedish law, was not held criminally responsible.
Miraculously, no one was injured in the shooting. The court did not reveal the motives behind the attack.
In response to the incident, Swedish police increased security around Israeli and Jewish sites in the country. Sweden has recently seen a surge in armed violence, often linked to criminal gangs. The minimum age for criminal responsibility in Sweden is 15.
