Criticism from Danish politicians is harsh since it emerged that a large number of Swedes are suspected of serious violent crimes in the country during 2024. According to Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard (S), there have been 25 incidents involving "Swedish child soldiers" since April, who were paid to commit crimes on certain occasions.
At a press conference on Monday, the minister said he wants to put pressure on Sweden to take responsibility for the development, and in a TT interview on Tuesday, he said that "Sweden must clean up its mess".
Håkan Wall, head of the international unit at Noa, is the "first to regret that Swedish children and young people travel to Denmark and commit serious crimes".
It is extremely tragic for Sweden, but also for those affected by the violence and for the children themselves.
Own Problematic
However, it cannot be solely regarded as a problem for Sweden to solve, according to Wall. Denmark has also long been plagued by gang criminality and serious crime.
Sweden has unfortunately distinguished itself by having gangs with a very high level of violence. They exploit criminals in other countries by ordering Swedish young murderers in their conflicts. But it is not Sweden that is responsible for all criminality in Denmark and Norway. They have their own problematic, which Sweden has unfortunately become a part of.
Norwegian police have also warned about Swedish gangs operating across the border.
It is crucial to catch those who drive the violence, he says.
Everyone, including at the European level, must get better at it. We catch and prosecute many perpetrators, but it is the clients who are the genuinely dangerous people over time.
He emphasizes that the Nordic police cooperation is working very well, which is crucial since crime is cross-border.
We have several joint operations ongoing all the time. It is a very broad and intense cooperation.
Work Remains
That there is still much for Sweden to do is not in doubt, says Håkan Wall. Among other things, he thinks Hummelgaard's call to review double penalties for gang criminals is good.
Another important issue is how to handle children who commit serious crimes. He views positively the government's plans for youth prisons.
As tragic as it is, if we cannot prevent these serious crimes where children shoot children with Kalashnikovs, we must lock them up, to protect them themselves and others.
Within a week, five Swedish citizens, including three minors, were arrested for attempted murder and a bomb attack in Denmark.
It involves a man and a woman suspected of involvement in a hand grenade attack on a convenience store in Copenhagen on August 6, a 17-year-old suspected of shooting at a young man in Copenhagen the day before, and two teenagers who fired shots in Nørrebro and Kolding in Copenhagen the week before.
The background to the wave of violence is a conflict between two gangs in Denmark, according to the Danish National Police, NSK.
