Sweden’s government has confirmed plans to push ahead with a controversial bill to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13 for serious crimes.
The proposal, if approved, could allow prison sentences for minors in exceptional cases.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer said on Monday that the measure was not intended to broadly change Sweden’s justice system.
He said the reform would apply only to the most serious offences, including murder, attempted murder, aggravated bombings, serious weapons offences and aggravated rape.
Sweden has battled a sharp rise in organised violent crime for more than a decade, largely driven by rival gang conflicts and drug market disputes.
Authorities say criminal networks have increasingly recruited children under 15 to carry out shootings and bomb attacks, knowing they face no prison sentences if arrested.
A government inquiry released in January 2025 recommended lowering the age of criminal responsibility
to 14.
However, the government later announced plans to reduce it further to 13 and circulated the bill to 126 organisations and public institutions for review.
Most responses were critical or opposed the proposal, including objections from police, prosecutors and prison authorities.
The police warned that lowering the age could draw even younger children into criminal gangs, while others argued that prisons are not equipped to handle such young offenders and that the policy could violate children’s rights.
Strömmer said the government had considered the concerns raised but insisted the situation required urgent action.
He described the security challenge as an emergency and said responses must reflect the seriousness of the threat.
The justice minister added that the change would be temporary, initially lasting five years.
The bill will now be reviewed by Sweden’s Council on Legislation before being submitted to parliament.
Strömmer said the government aims for the law to take effect later this summer.
