Sweden and Czechia address rising juvenile crime through legal reforms

Sweden has approved a historic criminal justice reform that allows 14-year-olds to be sentenced to prison for serious crimes, including murder, bombings, and severe armed violence. Effective September 10, the law responds to rising youth violence and the exploitation of minors by organized gangs. To accommodate this change, specialized wings for minors have been established within adult prisons to provide separate educational programs.

In the Czech Republic, Supreme State Prosecutor Lenka Bradáčová has called for a systemic overhaul of juvenile institutions alongside any potential lowering of the age of criminal responsibility. She argues that simply lowering the age is insufficient without significant investment in therapeutic-focused facilities. Bradáčová suggests a model similar to Poland, where specialized institutions provide psychiatric, psychological, and educational care to separate aggressive individuals from children in care for social reasons.