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Sweden Today

Swedish news in English

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Youth Violence on the Rise in Sweden

Published: 2024-08-01

In recent months, Sweden has witnessed a troubling rise in youth involvement in violent crimes, particularly shootings and bombings.

Reports indicate that criminal gangs are increasingly recruiting teenagers to carry out these acts, with police statistics showing a doubling of minors suspected in such incidents over the past few years.

Just this July, there were fifteen shootings reported, raising concerns about public safety and community response to such violence.

Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer highlighted the urgent need for both effective law enforcement and preventive measures to address this alarming trend.

He emphasized that young people are voluntarily joining gangs to commit serious crimes, and that the current system is failing to deter them.

The government is now considering reforms to strengthen penalties for young offenders and improve early intervention strategies to prevent youth from being drawn into criminal activities.