In September, Prime Minister Ulf Christerson announced plans to lower Sweden’s age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13 for the most serious crimes, including murder and aggravated bombing.
The reform is a response to the increase in deadly gang violence. Police say criminal networks are increasingly recruiting children to carry out shootings and deliver weapons, because minors under the age of 15 cannot be prosecuted.
The Stockholm government had previously announced the creation of special detention units for 15 to 17-year-olds in Swedish prisons. Under the new proposal, the scheme is being expanded to also include youth-prison units for 13- to 14-year-olds. According to the Swedish Ministry of Justice, young offenders may begin being sent to these detention facilities as early as next summer.
The government argues the change will close loopholes used by gangs. But legal experts, child-rights organizations and activists warn that lowering the limit will not stop crime and could weaken rehabilitation.
The big picture: an EU of differences
The minimum age of criminal responsibility varies dramatically in Europe – from 10 years in Ireland to 16 in Portugal and Luxembourg.
Despite differences, all EU countries run separate juvenile justice systems for children under the age of 18, where the focus is on education and rehabilitation rather than punishment. Yet as the political debate over youth crime intensifies, the line between protecting minors and prosecuting them is becoming blurred.
In countries with higher age limits, such as Finland or Portugal, the emphasis is on social reintegration. Elsewhere, growing concern over youth involvement in violent crime has led to calls for toughening regulations – for example, this trend is now visible in Sweden and Germany.
Germany: pressure to toughen up
German criminal law sets the age of responsibility at 14. Offenders ages 14–17 are prosecuted in juvenile courts, which emphasize rehabilitation, community service, and counseling over prison sentences.
Members of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative CDU, as well as far-right politicians, However, there are calls to reduce the age to 12 years, citing increasing cases of youth violence. Federal crime statistics show What is the number of children suspected in violent crimes? 11.3% increase in 2024, However levels remain well below the early 2000s.
As in Sweden, child rights advocates and legal experts argue against lowering the age limit. Some have called for research into whether the move would reduce the number of young people committing crime at all and what impact it would have on children.
So far, the German government has shown little appetite for change, sticking to the rehabilitation-first approach that has long shaped its juvenile-justice philosophy. But the debate has come up again and again, and Sweden’s decision to lower its age limit could offer new inspiration for conservative lawmakers.
Ireland: Europe’s lowest border
Ireland has the lowest age of criminal responsibility in the European Union. Under the Children’s Act, most minors become liable at the age of 12, but for serious crimes such as murder, manslaughter or rape, they can be prosecuted from the age of 10.
The policy has been criticized by rights groups including UNICEF and the Council of Europe, which recommend a minimum age of at least 14 years. Campaigners in Ireland have urged lawmakers to raise this limit, arguing that the current law is contrary to modern child protection standards.
The Irish government defends the framework, pointing to specialized juvenile courts and diversion programs that focus on education and restorative justice. Nevertheless, a review of the law is being discussed as international pressure increases.
Why did Denmark change course?
Denmark offers a cautionary tale. In 2010, the centre-right government lowered the age of criminal-responsibility from 15 to 14 in hopes of curbing youth crime. Two years later, a new government reversed the decision. Studies found no decline in crimes among 14-year-olds. It also found evidence that early imprisonment increased the incidence of recidivism.
For many in Brussels, it is a reminder that punitive reforms can play well politically, but rarely produce lasting results.
Throughout the European Union, the question of how short is too short to receive a sentence remains politically controversial. Sweden’s proposal fits a broader trend of tougher rhetoric on youth crime – yet research like this 2025 Study outside Denmark Suggests that early criminalization may make reintegration difficult. American researchers also found this Early juvenile incarceration reduces children’s positive development And this often has long-term negative effects.
As EU countries consider deterrence against rehabilitation, the real challenge may not be how low the age limit is lowered, but rather how society helps vulnerable children avoid crime.
Edited by: Carla Bleiker