Sweden Withdraws Bill to Jail 13-Year-Olds, Plans Revised Proposal
Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer said the revised bill would set the limit at 14 after 349 MPs no longer guaranteed support for 13.
- On Thursday, Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer announced the government is withdrawing its plan to jail 13-year-olds, instead proposing to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 14.
- The reversal follows the collapse of the parliamentary pairing system, which left the minority government without a majority to pass the original 13-year threshold, Strommer conceded.
- A majority of 126 authorities and organizations consulted opposed the measure, while official data shows over 50 children under 15 faced court last year for murder or attempted murder.
- Social Democrat justice spokesperson Teresa Carvalho welcomed the decision, while Green Party joint leader Daniel Helldén criticized the administration as a "stressed and desperate government."
- Within weeks, the government will present the revised 14-year proposal, with parliament expected to vote by August as existing prisons prepare specialized sections for young offenders.
49 Articles
49 Articles
Sweden Plans to Lower Criminal Age to 14 Amid Rise in Violent Crime by Children
The Swedish government has announced plans to reduce the age of criminal responsibility to 14 after dropping plans to lock up violent offenders as young as 13 in special prison units. Earlier this month, Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer announced plans to cut the age from 15 to 13, but on June 11, he said there was not enough support in parliament for that and that he had agreed to compromise at 14. “We are going to propose that the ag…
Sweden Drops Plan to Jail 13-Year-Olds. It Should Stop There.
Click to expand Image The Anstalten Rosersberg prison facility in Rosersberg, north of Stockholm, Sweden, on March 4, 2026. © 2026 Jonathan Nasktrand/ AFP via Getty Images The Swedish government has dropped its proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13 for serious crimes, Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer said on June 11. Instead, officials will present parliament with a proposal to lower the age from 15 to 14.While that is bette…
The government was forced to back down quickly when four Liberal MPs refused to vote yes to 13-year-olds in prison. Now the party is once again divided internally – in its view of the risk of new setbacks.
Whether 13-year-olds or 14-year-olds who commit murder are handled by the Swedish Prison and Probation Service or the Swedish Board of Institutions is not the most important thing. It is what efforts are made to reverse the trend.
In Sweden, gangs recruit children via social media and telegrams for theft and murder. The government therefore plans new laws – experts doubt the benefits.
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