"It's important that the sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime"

A boy who was 16 years old when he brutally murdered three people has been sentenced to twelve years in prison. Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (The Moderate Party) does not want to comment on the individual case but says: On another level, one can say that it is important that punishments reflect the seriousness of the crime, also when committed by minors.

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"It's important that the sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime"
Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT

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The Minister for Justice emphasizes that the government wants to move towards a system where prison sentences, and longer prison sentences than today, are the starting point. The intention is to abolish closed youth care as a sentence and replace it with youth prisons from 2026.

Several younger teenagers have been sentenced to relatively long prison sentences over the past year.

Do you see this as a new line from the courts, and if so, is it something you welcome?

We naturally follow the practice of the courts closely, but I am not prepared to draw any more general conclusions based on how individual cases have been judged, says Strömmer.

On the other hand, one can generally say that when we see the most serious crimes, including murder, affecting younger and younger ages, it is natural that society's response to these crimes is forceful, and that is probably what we are seeing an expression of.

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By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

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