Sweden has a very high homicide rate compared to
other European countries. In 2021, 41 men aged 15–29 were killed,
equating to 42 men per million inhabitants in the corresponding age
group. According to the Global Study on Homicide, the number of victims
of fatal violence across Europe during the same year was 28 (Brå 2024).
There is no clear reason why homicides have increased more in Sweden
than in other countries, other than that organized crime is on the rise.
Recruitment of young people
Studies show that a large percentage of local criminal networks
actively recruit young people under the age of 18 to their cause. It has
become more common for established criminal actors to exploit children
and adolescents not only for drug-related crime but also for carrying
out violent and risky crimes such as shootings, explosions or
assassinations. This is clearly borne out by the statistics on shootings
leading to injury or death, where the share of suspects under the age
of 18 has rapidly grown over the last five years. In 2019, the number of
under-18s suspected of an involvement in a shooting leading to injury
or deaths was nine; by mid 2024, this had risen to 29 (Figure 2).
Serious crime among children and adolescents
Both suspects and victims of homicide by firearm are becoming younger
as more and more children and adolescents become involved in criminal
networks in Sweden. In the 15-20 age group, the number of suspects
involving murder, manslaughter and assault with a fatal outcome in 2014
was 34. By 2023, that number had increased four-fold to 167 – a 391%
increase over 2014. For the over-21 age group, the increase was
significantly lower at 37% (table 1).
The vast majority of suspects are boys and young men, although the
share of girls and young women seems to be rising. In 2023, 21 of the
167 murder suspects under the age of 20 were girls, rising from three in
2022 and eight in 2021 (Brå, Crime statistics).
In general, criminal activity increases during adolescence, peaks in
early adulthood, and declines after that. The same pattern is also
evident among members of criminal networks. According to the Swedish
Police Authority, the number of individuals deemed active in criminal
networks is 14,000. Around 1,700 children and adolescents under 18 are
considered active members of a criminal network, accounting for 13% in
total (Swedish Police Authority 2024).
Government strategy against organised crime
Crime prevention is one of the government’s current priorities.
Sweden’s first comprehensive national strategy against organised crime
was adopted in 2024 (Ministry of Justice 2024a). It aims to bring
together a broad range of actors, including the private sector and civil
society, to combat crime at national, regional and local levels. This
includes a review of the criminal code, especially those provisions
relating to weapons offenses. The police's powers to stop and search
individuals on the street and to conduct house searches are to be
strengthened.
Institutional forms of care for those under the age of 18 who have
been directed to enter into care are being reviewed, too. In Sweden,
children under the age of 14 are legal minors and thus cannot be
convicted of a crime. Young people aged 15 to 17 can exceptionally be
given a custodial sentence for serious crimes. Adults aged over 18 can
be sentenced according to standard sentencing regulations, although
special juvenile sanctions may be handed down to those under 21.
Overall, the government’s strategy against organized crime mainly
centres on repressive policies, for which there is considerable public
support.
Government strategy on social crime prevention
Countering and fighting crime is an important task, and early
interventions to prevent crime are central. Besides its strategy against
organized crime, the government is also focusing on social crime
prevention. Here the focus is on preventing children and young people
from becoming involved in criminal networks and other crimes in the
first place, as well as ensuring that those who do commit crimes leave
that world behind. The social crime prevention strategy includes both
broad and early measures, including crime prevention efforts in schools,
strengthening parental responsibility, giving social services better
pathways to support children and young people, and preventing recidivism
(Ministry of Justice 2024b).
Most actions – both repressive and preventive efforts – focus on boys
and young men from socially disadvantaged areas, many of whom are from
the immigrant community.
(Continue)
27.01.2025
/ Tiina Ekman, Senior Analyst of the Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society (MUC)