Children's rights organizations are strongly critical of the government's bill that would give social services new tools to prevent young people from becoming involved in crime. There is a broad consensus among experts that it is unlikely to have the right effect, says Erik Ulnes, an expert at Save the Children.
Swedish politicsThe government's plan to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13 years is a wrong proposal without scientific support, say children's rights organizations and the Swedish Bar Association. This is a major departure in terms of children's rights, says children's rights lawyer Li Melander.
Swedish politicsCounterproductive and dangerous, this is how several children's rights organizations describe the government and the Sweden Democrats' proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13 years. It sounds decisive, but it is to attack a symptom and turn a blind eye to the actual causes, says Ombudsman for Children Juno Blom.
Swedish politicsThe Prison and Probation Service is preparing to receive young people who have murdered or committed other serious crimes and hold them in custody – without violating their rights as children. According to the UN agency Unicef, the task assigned to the Prison and Probation Service by the government is very difficult.
Swedish politics
