Key facts
- The Swedish government will toughen criminal sentencing ahead of the September election.
- New legislation will push courts to impose longer sentences for serial offenders.
- All committed crimes will be taken into consideration for sentencing.
- Mitigating circumstances will be considered to a lesser extent.
- The government has previously introduced measures like harsher sentences for gang crimes and increased surveillance powers.
The Swedish government announced on Tuesday its intention to toughen criminal sentencing laws, a move aimed at addressing the country's persistent gang crime issues ahead of a September election. The proposed legislation seeks to compel courts to more frequently apply the higher end of the punishment scale and to impose longer sentences on individuals convicted of multiple offenses.
Historically, Sweden has not aggregated separate offenses when sentencing, instead basing punishments primarily on the most serious crime. Minister of Justice Gunnar Strommer stated that this approach has, in practice, meant that subsequent offenses have gone unpunished. The new proposal aims to rectify this by ensuring all committed crimes are factored into sentencing decisions.
"Our expectation is that this change will mean significantly longer sentences for serial offenders," Strommer said at a press conference. The government also indicated that mitigating circumstances, such as the loss of employment, will be given less weight in sentencing.