Sweden Drops 13-Year-Old Proposal, Moves to Set Age at 14
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The Swedish government has abandoned its plan to lower the age of criminal responsibility for juveniles exempt from prosecution from the current 15 years old to 13 years old.
Photo of the Swedish flag in Stockholm to help understand the article. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News Agency
According to Yonhap News and the Swedish Herald, Gunnar Strömmer, Sweden’s Minister of Justice, announced in parliament on June 11 (local time) that the proposal to lower the age to 13 would be scrapped due to insufficient support, and instead, a new bill would be introduced to set the minimum age of criminal responsibility at 14. Fourteen is the average age at which European Union (EU) member states hold individuals criminally responsible, and it is also the minimum standard recommended by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.
The immediate reason for the failure of the 13-year-old proposal was the way parliament operates. The far-right Sweden Democrats, which support the government, broke an agreement to offset the votes of absent lawmakers, resulting in the loss of a majority needed to pass the 13-year-old proposal. Minister Strömmer stated, “The government’s own investigation originally recommended setting the minimum age at 14,” and added, “More people on our side will also be comfortable with 14.” The proposal to set the age at 14 is also in line with the position of the main opposition Social Democratic Party.
Initially, the Swedish government planned to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13, but only for serious crimes carrying a minimum sentence of four years—such as murder, attempted murder, explosives offenses, and sexual violence—starting from July 3. To accommodate this, some correctional facilities were scheduled to begin accepting minor inmates from July 1. It was reported that a 13-year-old convicted of murder could be incarcerated in a juvenile detention center for one to two years, while a 14-year-old could serve three to four years.
Currently, Sweden has one of the highest rates of shootings in Europe. With a growing number of cases where criminal organizations use juveniles exempt from prosecution to commit contract killings, robberies, and other violent crimes, the government sought to detain children as young as 13 in dedicated correctional facilities.
However, some have opposed these measures, arguing that they could inadvertently encourage even younger children to participate in crimes. Correctional authorities have also expressed reluctance, stating that they are not prepared to house young offenders and that such measures could infringe upon children’s rights.
The age of criminal responsibility varies across Europe. Germany, Italy, and Spain set the age at 14 and operate juvenile justice systems that prioritize rehabilitation over punishment. France determines criminal responsibility based on a child’s discernment rather than a fixed minimum age. In contrast, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland have set the age at 10—the lowest in Europe—leading to criticism from international human rights organizations.
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A similar debate is ongoing in South Korea. Under current criminal law, those under 14 are considered criminal minors, and juveniles aged 10 to 13 are not subject to criminal punishment but instead receive protective measures. In February, President Lee Jaemyung instructed the Cabinet to consider lowering the upper age limit for juvenile exemption from 14 to under 13, and the government subsequently formed a social dialogue council that facilitated a public debate for more than two months. In a survey conducted by Gallup Korea in March, 81% supported lowering the age, far outweighing the 13% opposed. However, it has been reported that the council’s discussions are leaning toward maintaining the current age of 14.
This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.
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