Sweden’s right-wing government has withdrawn a controversial proposal that sought to reduce the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13, after failing to secure enough parliamentary backing.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer said on Thursday that the government would instead return with a revised bill in the coming weeks, proposing 14 as the new minimum age for imprisonment. He added that the government still expects parliament to consider and possibly approve the updated plan by August.
The minority government, supported by the Sweden Democrats, has prioritised tougher crime policies since taking office in 2022.
Strömmer explained that the decision to step back from the initial proposal was based on the uncertain political support in parliament, describing it as a “responsible” move to withdraw the bill for now.
The original proposal, which had been scheduled for a parliamentary vote on June 15, sparked widespread debate and criticism in Sweden, a country traditionally known for strong child-rights protections.
Of the institutions and agencies consulted during the drafting stage, a majority reportedly opposed or raised concerns about the proposal, including the police and the prison service.
A government-appointed inquiry had recommended lowering the age to 14 for serious offences, but the government initially pushed for a more drastic reduction to 13.
While the opposition Social Democrats have indicated support for lowering the threshold to 14, Strömmer said this level appears to have broader acceptance in parliament.
Sweden has experienced a sustained rise in gang-related violence over the past decade, largely driven by organised criminal networks linked to drug trafficking.
These groups have increasingly recruited minors, particularly those under 15, often through online platforms, to carry out serious crimes such as shootings and bombings, exploiting their exemption from prison sentences.
In response, authorities have begun preparing specialised prison units for juveniles in several facilities, designed to keep them separate from adult inmates.
At present, minors convicted of serious offences are generally placed in youth care homes rather than prisons, although concerns have grown that some of these facilities have been infiltrated by criminal networks.
The government is currently fast-tracking a series of security and justice reforms ahead of the country’s general elections scheduled for September.