In a statement on Monday, Swedish justice minister Gunnar Strömmer said the country was in an “acute situation” because of criminal gangs recruiting young people to commit serious offences.

The age of criminal responsibility will be lowered to 13 for offences punishable by four or more years’ imprisonment, including murder, aggravated rape and aggravated gun crime, he said.

Young offenders will also face stiffer sentences, with offenders between the ages of 18 and 20 no longer eligible for sentence discounts on the basis of youth, and a significant reduction in discounts for offenders between the ages of 15 and 17.

A cap on the maximum sentence imposed on under-18s will also now only cover under-14s.

The government intends to implement the proposed changes from 3 July 2026.

The UNCRC previously urged the Swedish government to maintain the minimum age of criminal responsibility at 15.

Mr Strömmer said: “We are facing an acute situation, and the measures we take must reflect the seriousness of it.

“We also have to acknowledge and act on both sides of the problem — that is, these children are both perpetrators who subject other children and adults to life-threatening violence, and at the same time may be victims themselves, exposed to threats and extortion.

“This means we must do several things in parallel: we must protect people in our society from life-threatening violence, provide better redress for victims of crime, and at the same time care for and rehabilitate these children far better than we do today.”