Teenage girl suspected of two gang-related murders in Sweden

A 15-year-old girl is suspected of involvement in two fatal shootings within three days, separated by 600 kilometres, as police investigate links to criminal networks, Swedish public broadcaster SVT reports.

The teenager is accused of participating in the killings of two boys—one in Vårby gård, southern Stockholm, and another in Rosengård, Malmö—though she denies the charges. A 17-year-old boy arrested alongside her has confessed to the Malmö shooting and weapons offences.

Researcher Anna Hedin Ekström, who has studied women’s roles in criminal networks for Sweden’s National Operational Unit (Noa), told SVT that gangs actively recruit girls and women because they are less likely to draw attention from law enforcement.

“There’s a perception that girls are too fragile for these criminal environments. We need to challenge that assumption,” Ekström said. While fewer girls than boys are involved in gangs, a recent report by the Swedish Crime Prevention Council (Brå) found that those who do participate often play central roles, including transporting weapons or drugs to avoid police detection.

“Criminal networks have used this strategy for years. They actively recruit women and girls because they know they fly under the radar,” Ekström added.