Sweden flag. Photo: Scandification
Sweden’s right-wing government withdrew Thursday a heavily contested proposal to lower the age at which children can be sentenced to prison from 15 to 13, citing a lack of support in parliament.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said the government would present a revised proposal within weeks, lowering the age to 14. He said he expected parliament to approve the measure by August.
The minority government, backed by the far-right Sweden Democrats, has made the fight against crime a top priority since coming to power in 2022.
“Things are a bit uncertain in parliament, and that is why we have decided to act responsibly in this situation by making the decision this morning to withdraw this bill,” Strommer told reporters.
