S-studenter Oppose Lowering Criminal Responsibility Age, Advocate Welfare-Based Youth Crime Prevention

The student wing of Sweden's Social Democratic Party, S-studenter, has strongly opposed the party leadership's proposal to lower the criminal responsibility age to 14, calling it a "bad idea." Elfva Barrio, chairperson of S-studenter, highlighted a staggering 500% increase in children involved in murder cases since 2022, emphasizing the urgent need for effective measures. Rather than harsher punishments, S-studenter advocates for “hard welfare reforms” focused on preventing youth recruitment into gang crime through a 21-point program developed with insights from social workers, police, and local politicians. Their proposals include creating a new state agency to coordinate preventive measures across municipalities and establishing individualized support programs for at-risk youth. Barrio stressed the importance of investing in such preventive strategies despite their cost, stating that protecting children is a collective societal responsibility.

Meanwhile, the broader Social Democratic Party has also proposed stricter penalties for severe economic crimes linked to organized crime, raising maximum prison sentences for offenses like money laundering and fraud from six to ten years. Justice policy spokesperson Teresa Carvalho underscored the connection between economic crime and gang-related activities, noting that about 4,000 individuals involved in gang crime receive social benefits. The party also supports empowering the Payment Authority (Utbetalningsmyndigheten) to better prevent funds from flowing to gang criminals, although recent government decisions have changed the authority's role in welfare payments.

These developments reveal an ongoing internal debate within Socialdemokraterna balancing between tougher sanctions for serious crimes and welfare-oriented preventive approaches to youth gang involvement.