Sweden, which is suffering from 'teenage gang crime', is lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 14. The Swedish government has announced that it will lower the age at which a person can be held criminally responsible from 15 to 14, as part of its efforts to tackle the rapidly increasing number of crimes committed by teenagers. According to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, the number of shootings in Sweden has increased by 20 percent over the past year, with 156 people killed or injured in 2022. In particular, crimes committed by teenagers have increased significantly, with 1 in 5 suspects in murder cases last year being under the age of 18. In response, the Swedish government has decided to lower the age of criminal responsibility, and plans to implement the revised bill in 2024. The government expects that by lowering the age of criminal responsibility, it will be able to take tougher measures against juvenile offenders and reduce the number of crimes committed by teenagers. However, some experts and human rights groups have expressed concerns that lowering the age of criminal responsibility could violate the rights of young people and lead to increased juvenile delinquency. The Swedish government plans to continue to work on measures to prevent juvenile delinquency and ensure the rights of young people, while also taking steps to address the root causes of the problem.
We haven't written up this one. Hankyoreh has the full story — the link below goes straight to it.
