The age of criminal responsibility in Sweden is to be lowered from 15 to 13 due to the country’s rise in gang violence.

Currently, children under 15 cannot be held criminally responsible. However, the new proposal means 13 and 14-year-olds could face prison sentences, as the country’s criminal gangs have been recruiting minors to commit serious crimes.

Speaking to SVT, Gunnar Strömmer, Sweden’s Justice Minister, explained, “Anyone who commits a serious crime must be punished.”

It was estimated by Swedish police that 1700 under-18s were active members of criminal gangs in 2024.

The new law is expected to kick in in the summer of 2026, after seeing backing from the country’s Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna).