14-year-olds who try to commit murder. 13-year-olds who shoot at gates.
Only in the Gothenburg area, several children are suspected of a number of violent crimes in recent weeks.
And it's not entirely unexpected.
In line with the increasing severity of organized crime, violence is also decreasing in age. Not infrequently, they are recruited by criminal gangs through, among other things, social media.
It seems to be a very strong increase in a short time. My impression is that it's mainly about them getting assignments from older people, says Manne Gerell, docent in criminology at Malmö University.
Legislative Change 2023
A child under 15 years old who is suspected of a serious crime cannot be arrested, detained, or prosecuted. Instead, it is through a so-called bevistalan that the potential guilt can be established.
In many ways, it resembles a regular criminal trial: a prosecutor investigates the circumstances and intent, and a court ultimately takes a stance on the question of guilt. But in a bevistalan, there are no criminal penalties because people under 15 years old are not criminally liable.
Since a legislative change in 2023 – which means that individual prosecutors can bring a bevistalan – more and more children are being brought to court.
This year alone, a bevistalan has been brought 42 times up to and including September 30. Compared to the beginning of the 2020s – when bevistalan was brought only a few times – the difference is significant.
"Completely Decisive"
At the same time, John Rosell, a prosecutor in Gothenburg, believes that Swedish legislation is not adapted to today's challenges.
We see an enormous increase in young people committing serious crimes. There is a need for increased opportunities to deprive young people of their liberty. It is completely decisive for being able to combat serious crime, says Rosell.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer (M) is on a similar track. He tells TT that intensive legislative work is underway for young offenders.
For example, giving the police the opportunity to use coercive measures against young people is a very critical issue both for prevention and for being able to clear up this type of crime, says Strömmer.
Someone under 15 years old who commits a crime cannot be sentenced to any penalty. In some cases, the police or prosecutor can still conduct an investigation to investigate what happened and provide the social services with a basis for being able to implement support or care measures.
In particularly serious crimes, the prosecutor can request that the court try the question of guilt through a so-called bevistalan. This is only done when the prosecutor assesses that it is possible to prove that the person committed the crime. The court will then take a stance on whether the young person committed the crime or not, but will not impose any penalty.
Number of times a bevistalan has been brought in recent years:
2020: 1
2021: 3
2022: 0
2023: 10
2024 (up to and including September 30): 42
Source: The Prosecutor's Office.
