Sweden Lowers Criminal Responsibility Age to 13 Following Rise in Violent Juvenile Crimes

Sweden will lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13 for serious crimes following a legislative proposal by Gunnar Strömmer and the Tidö parties.The law targets offenses such as murder and bombings to prevent gangs from exploiting minors and includes the establishment of 54 youth prison places by July 2026.Advocacy groups including BRIS and Unicef Sweden criticized the move, arguing that incarceration of children lacks scientific support and violates fundamental rights.