Swedish Government Drops Plan to Imprison 13-Year-Olds

Sweden's government has decided to withdraw a controversial legislative proposal that would have lowered the age of criminal responsibility to 13. Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer announced the retraction at a press conference, citing a lack of sufficient support for the bill in the Riksdag, the Swedish parliament.

The proposal was scheduled for a vote next Monday. Strömmer explained that current information regarding the bill's treatment in the Riksdag indicated it would not garner enough backing. "The information we have at present regarding the treatment of the issue in the Riksdag shows that the proposal to lower the criminal age to 13 will not receive sufficient support in the Riksdag," he stated.

Had the bill passed, the change would have taken effect on August 2. Instead of pursuing the age of 13, the government now intends to propose lowering the criminal responsibility age to 14. Currently, the age of criminal responsibility in Sweden, as in Denmark, is 15 years old.

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The information we have at present regarding the treatment of the issue in the Riksdag shows that the proposal to lower the criminal age to 13 will not receive sufficient support in the Riksdag.