This is what the government wants, and it is now presenting several proposals for legislative changes concerning children and young people suspected of crimes.
Today, the police have limited opportunities to conduct body searches and home searches of children who are not of legal age, because special reasons are required. In practice, this means that the police are usually only allowed to intervene when there is suspicion of more serious crimes.
Stolen mobile phone
For example, the police have pointed out that they may be prevented from conducting a search of a 14-year-old who is found with drugs even if they suspect there is more in the home. Nor may they conduct a body search of a 13-year-old suspected of stealing a mobile phone for the purpose of searching for the phone.
The government is now proposing to remove the requirement for special reasons for home searches and body searches of children under the age of 15. This will make it easier for the police to secure evidence in the form of, for example, stolen property or drugs from children.
"With these proposals, we both strengthen the possibilities of investigating crimes committed by children, and protect children from being drawn into crime," says Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (M) in a comment.
The powers the police already have today to search the bodies or homes of children under 15 years of age - if they are suspected of having weapons, explosives or large quantities of drugs - will not be affected.
Detain longer
The government is also proposing that the period of time that a suspect under the age of 18 can be held in custody be extended from three months to five months. This is because investigations have reportedly become more complex and time-consuming as more and more young people commit gang crimes.
However, the Swedish Crime Prevention Council has warned there is a risk that investigations will be conducted less effectively if the time limit is extended, and UNICEF, among others, has pointed out that Sweden has already been criticized by the UN for long detention periods.
The proposed changes to the law will come into force on July 1 this year. This is at the same time that the age of criminal responsibility for serious crimes could be lowered to 13 years, according to the government's proposal.
