In order to be able to intervene and prevent serious crime at an early stage, the government proposes that criminal liability for attempts, preparation and abetment to commit a crime be expanded.
More acts than today will be covered by the types of crime. The aim is to make it easier to reach the top echelons of the gangs.
It's about legislation that will get to those who are behind it, who control and organize crime, order shootings and recruit children, says Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (M).
Recruiting online
Today, a digital advertisement to recruit young people into crime does not have to be punishable, but it is only when money has been transferred that it can be criminal. With the new law, the promise of payment itself will become punishable, without the transfer of money.
It should be punishable to post the advertisement itself, says Strömmer.
The police should also be able to pretend to be a child in digital chats. Even in those cases, the gang criminal should be able to be punished. The Minister of Justice describes this as a modernization and adaptation of the legislation to today's reality.
This enables the police to work more aggressively against these criminals who recruit children online.
It may also be punishable to use, for example, encrypted telephones in the actual planning of a crime, without the phones needing to be used in the commission of the crime.
The dummy weapon case
When the consultation bodies issued their opinions, there was massive criticism from major players such as the Swedish Public Prosecutor's Office, a number of district and appeal courts and the Swedish Bar Association. The government has taken on board the criticism and made certain changes, says Strömmer.
The government is now also acting after the ruling that has become known as the “dummy gun” case. In the current case, the police found weapons in a basement storage room. They were confiscated and a dummy was placed there instead to set a trap. Two men were arrested but were later acquitted in the Supreme Court because the weapons were replicas.
The government is now changing this through special regulations.
The extended liability for attempted crimes is proposed to enter into force on April 1, 2026. Other legislative amendments are proposed to enter into force on July 1.
