Swedish Police Report Rise in Gangland Violence Resulting in Dozens of Casualties

Sweden Sees Rise in Gang-Related Violence, Innocent Casualties

Over the past three years, Sweden has witnessed a significant increase in gang-related violence, resulting in the deaths of 23 innocent bystanders and injuries to 30 others. According to police statistics released on Monday, these incidents are primarily linked to score-settling and battles over control of the drug market.

The victims include individuals struck by stray bullets, cases of mistaken identity, and relatives of targeted gang members. Alexander Wallenius, operations coordinator at the Swedish police’s department of national operations, attributed the high number of bystanders injured to the involvement of young perpetrators. “We are dealing with very young perpetrators who, in many cases, have no previous experience of violent crime,” he stated.

The recruits for these gangs often begin as early as 15 years old and are paid to carry out crimes. As minors under Sweden’s age of criminal responsibility, they cannot be prosecuted and fall under the jurisdiction of social services. This has led to concerns about the exploitation of vulnerable youth by organized crime groups.

In response to the growing violence, the government has proposed legislation requiring social media platforms like TikTok and Snapchat to remove “murder adverts” posted by gangs within an hour or face fines. The government also plans to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13 for crimes punishable by at least four years in prison.

Source: Al Jazeera