Swedish government withdraws proposal to jail 13-year-olds

The Swedish government has withdrawn its proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13, citing uncertainty over parliamentary support ahead of a vote on Monday.

Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer said the decision followed doubts among members of the ruling coalition, including within its own ranks. The government now plans to introduce a new proposal this summer to lower the age to 14 instead.

Social Democratic justice spokesperson Teresa Carvalho called the move a sign of the government’s failure to secure a majority, adding that her party supports a 14-year threshold based on a state inquiry. “We haven’t really received any justification from the government for why they chose to deviate from their own expert report’s recommendation,” she said.

Liberal Party justice spokesperson Martin Melin welcomed the withdrawal, calling it a “sensible” decision given the uncertain vote outcome. He declined to detail internal party discussions, citing the parliamentary pairing system, which can be affected by factors like illness or travel delays.

Other opposition parties, including the Green Party, want to retain the current age of 15. Green Party co-spokesperson Daniel Helldén criticised the government as “stressed and desperate,” adding: “It’s good that they’re backing down. We don’t want to see children in prison.”