Sweden lowers age of criminal responsibility to 14

Sweden's parliament has lowered the age of criminal responsibility to 14, a move that comes just a month before the country's general elections. The Riksdag voted 281 in favor and 66 against the legislation, with the social democratic opposition also supporting the change.

The center-right minority government, with support from the far-right Sweden Democrats, has prioritized combating crime since taking power in 2022. An earlier proposal to lower the age to 13 was withdrawn due to a lack of parliamentary majority.

Despite opposition from many of the 126 consulted authorities and NGOs, including police and prison services, a government-commissioned expert report recommended setting the age at 14 for serious offenses. The new law, which takes effect September 10, also means that individuals under 18 can now face a maximum prison sentence of 18 years, as sentence reductions for young offenders are being decreased.

Recent polls indicate a narrowing gap between the governing parties and the opposition ahead of the September 13 elections.