The involvement of minors in organized crime continues to shape Sweden's criminal landscape. Recent incidents have highlighted this trend, including a case where a 12-year-old is suspected of being involved in a fatal shooting in Malmö, believed to be the youngest individual implicated in such a case in the country.

In Sweden, children under 15 are not considered criminally responsible and cannot be sentenced. However, for severe crimes, courts may examine their culpability through a process known as 'bevistalan.' This is a legal procedure resembling a trial, where the court determines whether the child committed the alleged act, though no criminal sentence is imposed.

Sharp Rise in Legal Proceedings Involving Young Children

Official statistics reveal a significant increase in these legal proceedings. In 2024, Swedish courts handled 78 cases involving 38 children under the age of 15. The following year, the number of suspected minors more than doubled to 88, according to data from the Swedish Prosecution Authority.

Most of these cases concerned attempted murder, which was the most frequently cited offense, followed by serious weapons violations. Five children faced legal proceedings for suspected murder, including a prominent case in Linköping, where a 14-year-old was involved in the fatal shooting of a known gang leader in 2024. The court concluded that older gang members had used the minor as an instrument in the crime, which was described as a calculated execution.

These developments are not unexpected, according to experts in criminology. The growing use of minors by criminal networks to carry out increasingly serious offenses is seen as a logical outcome of evolving criminal tactics. There has also been a notable shift in moral boundaries among those orchestrating such crimes, with a greater willingness to involve children in violent acts.

Changing Patterns of Recruitment and Criminal Activity

Research indicates that recruitment into criminal networks often occurs through peers, typically older adolescents who persuade younger children--sometimes as young as 12--to participate in criminal activities. Unlike in previous years, where minors might have been assigned minor roles, there is now evidence that very young children are directly involved in major crimes, including violent offenses.

A study by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå) examined 430 young people investigated for criminal activity in 2022 and 2023. The findings show a trend toward immediate involvement of minors in serious crimes, bypassing earlier patterns of gradual escalation.

Policy Responses and Legal Reforms

In response to the rise in youth crime, Swedish authorities have expanded law enforcement capabilities. Since October 2025, police are permitted to use covert surveillance and communication monitoring against children under 15 in certain cases. The government is also considering lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 13, a proposal that has attracted significant criticism from legal professionals and researchers, who argue that such measures may not deter minors from criminal involvement and could even push criminal activity to younger age groups.

Some experts suggest that while lowering the age of criminal responsibility could facilitate the removal of young offenders from the streets and disrupt criminal networks, it is unlikely to reduce the involvement of very young children in crime. Comparative analysis with other countries suggests that there is a practical lower limit, with very young children rarely participating in such acts.

The ongoing debate reflects the complex challenge of addressing juvenile involvement in organized crime, balancing the need for public safety with the welfare and development of children.