Rising Juvenile Crime in Sweden Sparks Debate on Lowering Criminal Responsibility Age

Sweden is witnessing a significant rise in serious crimes committed by children under 15, prompting public debate on juvenile criminal responsibility and legal procedures. A particularly alarming case involves a 12-year-old boy suspected of fatally shooting a 21-year-old man in Malmö, making him the youngest homicide suspect recorded in the country.

Legal proceedings for minors under 15 have nearly doubled, increasing from 78 cases in 2024 to 88 in 2025. Despite children under 15 not being prosecutable or imprisonable, "bevistalan" trials are conducted to establish guilt in severe offenses such as attempted murder and serious weapon-related crimes. The Brottsförebyggande rådet (Crime Prevention Council) reports that older minors are recruiting younger children for direct involvement in these violent acts, signaling a troubling shift in gang dynamics.

Experts like Ardavan Khoshnood from Lund University highlight a moral shift within criminal groups who now use increasingly younger individuals for violence. This trend has led the Swedish government to consider lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 13, a proposal that has faced strong criticism from legal professionals. Opponents caution that such a change might exacerbate juvenile delinquency rather than curb it.

Moreover, legal debates extend beyond age issues; scrutiny has also fallen on Sweden's law requiring the deletion of convicted individuals' DNA from police records after ten years. Criminal technician Dan Lindgren criticized this provision after a recent murder in Rönninge, noting that it hampers long-term investigations. Lindgren referenced the case of "Hagamannen," a notorious criminal whose DNA was removed from the register, underscoring concerns about the law's adequacy.

As Sweden grapples with these multifaceted challenges—rising juvenile crime and evolving forensic law debates—the nation stands at a crossroads in how to protect public safety while addressing the complex social and legal implications of youth crime.