The Swedish government has abandoned its controversial plan to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13. Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer told Swedish radio that the proposal is unlikely to get the necessary votes in parliament. Instead, the government will now propose lowering the age to 14, according to broadcaster SVT.
Currently, the age of criminal responsibility in Sweden is 15. Criminal gangs exploit the current law by deliberately recruiting minors for serious crimes, including murder, as they cannot be prosecuted. The government had originally planned to create special prison units for 15- to 17-year-olds and extend them to 13- and 14-year-olds.
Experts and the children’s rights organization Bris had criticized the plans. Police and prosecutors warned that lowering the age limit could lead gangs to recruit even younger children, aged 11 or 12, for crimes. The state prison authority had already rejected the plans in a statement last year.
Source: www.zeit.de
