"This type of approach and planning of crimes is something we see within the Swedish police every week, and the perpetrators are now almost exclusively children and young people," says Erik Lindblad, national operations leader at the police, on the police website.
One 16-year-old was arrested at the central station in Stockholm on July 8, when he was about to take the train to Malmö. The boy was allegedly given instructions on the Signal app to shoot an unknown person in Denmark.
"I mean that he was going to take the train to Malmö and then continue to Copenhagen to carry out the murder assignment. For the assignment, he would receive 150,000 kronor," says prosecutor Helena Westöö in a press release.
14-year-old girl
The second 16-year-old was arrested the same day. According to the indictment, he bought the train ticket for the boy who was to carry out the murder. One of them is charged with preparation for murder and incitement to murder, the other for aiding and abetting preparation for murder.
A summons is also issued against a 14-year-old girl. She allegedly sent money to the main accused 16-year-old and planned to travel with him to Copenhagen, according to the prosecutor. She was arrested in Malmö two days after the boys were arrested.
A summons can be issued against children under 15 who are not criminally liable and involves a court taking a stance on the child's guilt, but without imposing a sentence.
According to the police, whose figures extend to September 30, it is the first time a summons is issued against a girl.
Adult responsibility
The case is one of several this year where Swedish youths have planned or carried out serious violent crimes in Denmark.
Erik Lindblad at the police says that criminals seek out young people all over the country and initiate what resembles a grooming process in social media. It later turns into pure murder assignments in encrypted chats.
"It is the responsibility of the entire adult world to inform themselves about current criminal strategies and be vigilant and ask questions to children and young people about their contacts in digital environments, which accounts they follow, keep track of their bank accounts, and call the police if something doesn't feel right," says Lindblad.
Besides the risk of getting caught, it can also be life-threatening to take on assignments from criminal networks, both for the young people themselves and their families.
"If, for example, you back out of an assignment or carry out an assignment and get the opposing side after you. It can mean a death sentence."
