Dangerous criminals should be locked up, so that well-behaved people can feel safe in their homes and dare to be outside, says Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (M).
That is the basic idea when the government now presents a legislative package with a number of different punishment increases – according to the government, "the largest penal reform" since the Penal Code was introduced in the 1960s.
One of the proposals is that crimes committed in a gang environment should lead to twice as long sentences. It was an election promise from the 2022 election, when the Tidö parties often repeated "Danish punishment for Swedish crimes."
The increased penalties will come into effect on August 1. For example, it means that a gang criminal who is caught with a live weapon risks a prison sentence of eight years, compared to today's four.
Strömmer dismisses criticism
The starting point is that double punishment should also apply to minors.
If you think about what crime looks like, it would be very backward to, for example, not allow a 16-year-old who murders others to be subject to this increased punishment, says Strömmer.
However, there is a ceiling on how long the sentence can be when it is "doubled", and that is 18 years. In addition, the government has proposed sentence discounts for young people of between 20-90 percent depending on age.
The legal package also includes tightening some 50 penalty scales, including for violent and sexual crimes, and making repeated aggravated rapes punishable by life imprisonment.
The bill was rejected by the Legislative Council, which, among other things, considered it a “hasty move.” Strömmer disagrees with that criticism, but says that certain legal technical adjustments have been made.
The government and the SD are also moving forward with a legislative council referral to toughen penalties in general.
The courts' starting point should no longer be that prison sentences are only imposed as a last resort, and today's quantity discount should be abolished.
Unclear date
The courts should also take less account of the perpetrator's personal circumstances, such as old age, poor health or loss of employment.
The government's plan is for the Riksdag to vote through these bills this summer before the autumn elections. However, no date has been set for when the legislative changes will come into force. The reason is that the Prison and Probation Service must first have time to expand.
When asked whether the increased penalties could become a reality in one, two or ten years, Strömmer replies:
"We intend to make decisions during the next term of office, if we are given the confidence to form a government then. But we want to come back to exactly which parts and at exactly what pace," says Strömmer.
The government's bill, with proposals that will come into effect on August 1:
-Double penalties for gang criminals.
-About fifty penalty scales are being tightened.
-Repeated aggravated rapes should be punishable by life imprisonment.
-More people should be detained - this should also apply to cases such as gross violation of women's privacy and honor crimes.
The government's legislative council referral, which is submitted to the legislative council and has an unclear timetable:
-Prison should no longer be seen as a last resort (the presumption against imprisonment is removed).
-Conditional sentence and probation are phased out and replaced with "conditional imprisonment". (This should be a harsher penalty and have clearer consequences if a crime is committed during the probation period).
-The quantity discount will be abolished. (Instead, the penalty value for each crime should, as a general rule, be added together. But the overall seriousness of the crime should also be taken into account).
-The entire penalty scale should be used. (Today, the upper part, including the maximum penalty, is rarely used, according to the government).
-Several reasons for expediency (such as the perpetrator losing their job) are eliminated.
Source: Government
