Key facts
- Sweden's government will lower the age of criminal responsibility to 14, abandoning a previous proposal to set it at 13.
- The decision was made due to insufficient parliamentary support for the original proposal.
- The move is part of efforts to combat rising gang violence involving minors.
- Over 50 children under 15 faced court last year on suspicion of murder or attempted murder.
- Eight prisons are preparing special sections for young offenders.
- Attacks on Israeli-linked sites have involved suspects as young as 13 or 14, potentially linked to Iran.
Sweden's government has decided to abandon its controversial plan to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13 years old. Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer announced that insufficient parliamentary support led to the reversal, and the government will instead propose a new law setting the minimum age at 14.
The decision comes as Sweden grapples with a significant rise in gang-related crime over the past decade, including a high number of shootings. The government has sought to combat gangs recruiting increasingly younger children for violent offenses. Last year, over 50 children under the age of 15 faced court on suspicion of murder or attempted murder. Currently, children under 15 convicted of violent crimes are sent to youth homes, a system Justice Minister Strommer stated leads to higher re-offending rates. Eight existing prisons have been tasked with preparing special sections for children, where they will be kept separate from adult inmates.
The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Bra) reported a significant rise in homicides over the last 10 years, with 121 in 2023 compared to 87 a decade prior, decreasing to 92 in 2024. One of Sweden's most violent criminal gangs, Foxtrot, has often used teenagers for criminal errands. In 2023, the violence peaked when Foxtrot gang leader Rawa Majid entered into a deadly feud with Ismail Abdo, leader of rival gang Rumba. Abdo was arrested in Turkey in 2025, while Majid is believed to be in the Middle East.
Several attacks involving suspects as young as 13 or 14 have targeted locations linked to Israel, including defence firm Elbit Systems and the Israeli embassy. Sweden's security service Sapo has suggested these attacks could be linked to Iran, accusing the country of recruiting Swedish gang members. In 2025, both the US and UK sanctioned Foxtrot and Majid for their alleged involvement in violence against Jewish and Israeli targets on behalf of the Iranian regime.