Last weekend, a group of 8-year-olds playing football at Stuvsta IP in Huddinge were visited by teenagers who began asking personal questions, gave them money, and promised them items. The police fear this may be a case of gang recruitment.
This week, the Tidö government moved forward with a proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13 years for crimes with a minimum sentence of at least four years in prison. This includes, for example, murder, aggravated rape, kidnapping, and serious weapons offenses. The reason is that gangs are using increasingly younger children to commit serious crimes.
“There is a great need to remake the system for children who commit crimes. The reality is that today we are neither able to protect society from deadly violence, provide justice for crime victims, nor help children break a destructive path. That is why we are tightening the rules for young offenders. Parallel to this, there needs to be a major mobilization of the social system, so that we can prevent and hinder children from being drawn into serious crime at all,” says Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (M).
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Already now, gangs may be adapting to the new rules and attempting to recruit even younger children. Four 8-year-olds were at Stuvsta IP when an older team was playing a match and a group of teens around 15 began talking to them.
“The teenagers reportedly asked the children a lot of questions. They asked how old they were, where they lived, and if they could get their phone numbers. But only one child had a smartphone; the others had watches that only parents can call,” says community police officer Anna Schelin to Mitt i.
In addition to giving the children money, the teenagers also reportedly said they could get AirPods the next time they met. According to Schelin, it is impossible to know for sure what the intent was, but she says it seems very deliberate and feels like a textbook example of gang recruitment.
Not surprised
The police have now increased their presence in the area and are cooperating with the municipality.
One of the parents whose child was approached is Mikael Eriksson.
“I’m not shocked. You hear about things like this more and more these days,” he told state television.
Police tips
Keep an eye on phones and social media. Find out which apps and forums your child uses and who they are in contact with.
Set clear boundaries. Establish rules for times, socializing, and digital use.
Watch their friends. Find out which friends your teenager has and who they spend time with.
Know where they are. Be aware of your child’s whereabouts and why they’re there.
Talk openly about risks. Inform them about the dangers of gang crime and social media.
Cooperate with other parents. Stay in touch, for example via a group chat, and help each other keep track of the youth.
Be physically present. Take part in night patrols or go out spontaneously to check where your child is.
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