From August 2nd, anyone over the age of 18 who commits a crime with a minimum sentence of four years will be subject to imprisonment. This includes crimes such as murder, attempted murder, bombings and aggravated rape.
The criticism has been massive, both among experts in the previous investigation and consultation bodies.
The Legislative Council also recently rejected the bill, but the government is now sending it to the Riksdag.
“Dizzying”
In reality, today's system neither succeeds in protecting citizens from life-threatening violence, nor in providing redress to crime victims, nor in breaking destructive patterns that often exist around these children, says Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (M) at a press conference.
He points out that last year there were 52 children under the age of 15 in legal trials for murder or attempted murder.
It's dizzying.
When asked whether the lowered age of criminal responsibility will lead to fewer 13-year-olds committing murder, the representatives of the three government parties and the Sweden Democrats answer "Yes".
"I think it has a deterrent effect," predicts Torsten Elofsson (KD).
The Council criticized the government for not meeting the constitutional requirements for drafting the proposal and for not providing evidence that lowering the age of criminal responsibility leads to reduced crime. The criticism also concerned the risk that gangs will start recruiting even younger children, under 13, for murder and bombings.
The Council of State considers that the lowered age of criminal responsibility is not compatible with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, the government sees it as the convention only mentioning 14 years as a recommendation.
Get a penalty discount
The government is also proposing a new sentence reduction system for convicted persons under the age of 18.
As a guideline, a 15-year-old should be able to receive 40 percent of an adult's sentence and a 13-year-old 10 percent. Since the longest fixed-term sentence in Sweden is 18 years, the longest sentence for a 13-year-old can in practice be just under two years.
Valid for five years
The Minister of Justice has said that he believes that in many cases the courts will sentence the youngest offenders to youth supervision instead of prison, for example in serious weapons crimes. But in cases of murder and attempted murder, 13-year-olds can expect to be sentenced to prison.
Even 13-year-olds should be able to receive double punishment if they commit crimes in gang conflicts.
The lowered age of criminal responsibility is limited to five years. If the law is to be extended, a new parliamentary decision is required.
