Swedish government moves to abolish multiple‑offence sentencing discount

Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer announced a proposal to eliminate the "mängdrabatten" – the discount that reduces sentences for repeat offenders – so that each crime will be counted in full when determining punishment. The draft would mainly sum the penalty values of the three most serious offences; for example, a person convicted of three rapes could face about nine years in prison instead of roughly five under the current system.

The change is part of a broader criminal‑law reform driven by the Tidö parties (Moderates, Christian Democrats, Liberals and Sweden Democrats). The package also seeks to replace conditional sentences and supervision with a system of conditional imprisonment, use the full penalty scale more frequently, and remove several mitigating reasons such as age, illness or job loss. The Council on Legislation (Lagrådet) has criticised parts of the reform, but the government says it will proceed with the core proposal.