Sweden has differentiated itself from its European and other left-leaning countries after announcing the construction of prisons for minors, children around 13 years old.
The Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in northern Europe has seen an increase in crimes committed by minors, including gang-related shootings and attacks, over the past decade.
These heinous crimes have prompted the government, in power since 2022, to take strict action against the culprits.
Due to European regulations, it is difficult to send children under 15 to prison despite their crimes; However, the Swedish government says the soft approach of the past has failed.
The European country has seen a rise in gang-related crime, including fraud, robbery and drug trafficking over the past decade, resulting in a loss of $20 billion on average a year.
According to Reuters, gangs have been using social media to manipulate and recruit teenagers, sometimes as young as 11, to carry out crimes across the Nordic country.
According to Swedish police, there are more than 17,500 active gang members and 50,000 associates.
The government has proposed a new law that lowers the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13. Separate cells have been established for girls and boys and those convicted will be locked up in special facilities.
The Swedish legislature will vote to adopt the proposed law on June 15, 2026, and it will be reviewed after five years.
The condemned children will have the opportunity to change their lives forever as they will be offered education, gym, video games and will also be allowed to watch television until 8pm each night before being locked back in their cells.
