The Swedish Riksdag voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 14 for the most serious offences, ending a system that has been in place since 1864. The measure passed 281 to 66 and will take effect on 10 September on a provisional five-year basis.
The change applies to crimes including murder, aggravated rape and serious weapons offences, carrying a minimum sentence of four years. The legislation also removes sentence discounts for offenders aged 18 to 20 and extends the maximum youth sentence to 18 years. Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer said the previous system failed to protect citizens from life-threatening violence, while the Left Party opposed the move, arguing that children are still children.
The debate has resonated in neighbouring Denmark, where the criminal age was briefly lowered to 14 in 2010 before being restored. Danish Justice Minister Nicolai Wammen signalled no change, deferring to coalition partners who favour keeping the current threshold.