Sweden lowers age of criminal responsibility to 14

Sweden’s parliament on Thursday approved lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14, according to public broadcaster SVT.

The measure allows children aged 14 to be sentenced to prison for particularly serious offenses, including murder, aggravated rape and aggravated weapons offenses.

The proposal was adopted by 281 votes to 66, with two lawmakers absent.

The government and the right-wing Sweden Democrats had previously sought to lower the age to 13 but withdrew the proposal after determining that it lacked sufficient support in parliament.

Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson welcomed the result, describing it as “a step in the right direction.”

During the extraordinary parliamentary session, lawmakers also approved stricter conditions for family immigration and abolished sentencing reductions for people convicted of multiple offenses.

The family immigration measure passed by 176 votes to 171. Among other provisions, it generally requires a person in Sweden to have held a residence permit for at least two years before a relative can obtain a permit on the basis of family ties.

Parliament also voted by the same margin to abolish the country’s so-called “quantity discount,” meaning people convicted of several offenses at the same time will face longer prison terms.