Sweden’s right-wing government withdrew Thursday a heavily contested proposal to lower the age at which children can be sentenced to prison from 15 to 13, citing a lack of support in parliament.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said the government would present a revised proposal within weeks, lowering the age to 14. He said he expected parliament to approve the measure by August.
The minority government, backed by the far-right Sweden Democrats, has made the fight against crime a top priority since coming to power in 2022.
“Things are a bit uncertain in parliament, and that is why we have decided to act responsibly in this situation by making the decision this morning to withdraw this bill,” Strommer told reporters.
The proposal, which parliament had been due to vote on on June 15, had been met with fierce criticism in a country known for championing children’s rights.
A majority of the
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