Criminal gangs are luring students with intellectual disabilities to commit crimes by offering friendship. Several students at Polhem's adapted high school in Stockholm have been contacted by criminal gangs via social media, according to officials. Around 100 people with intellectual disabilities are brought to trial each year, according to a 2024 report from research company Acta Publica. According to SVT Stockholm, a 19-year-old student described that they need more help and do not understand as much as others, while also noting that gangs make sure they are not alone because many want more friends.
A new report from Stockholm city warns that the central location of Polhem's adapted high school makes children extra vulnerable to approaches from gang criminals, according to major media. The analysis shows that criminal networks are present in the vicinity during school hours to recruit children and young people, major media reports. The school's location near Fridhemsplan, an open drug scene, increases the risks, according to major media.
It's about children who are already extra vulnerable – that they are also exploited in this type of crime is absolutely heartbreaking.
Polhem's adapted high school is working with police to counteract gang recruitment, including teaching students how to handle situations where unknown people contact them, officials said. It remains unknown what specific measures are being taken by the school and police beyond teaching students how to handle unknown contacts.
The government has introduced a series of measures to address the problem of children being recruited into criminal networks, including the new Social Services Act and new confidentiality legislation, according to major media citing Social Services Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall. The police now have more opportunities to patrol online and wiretap criminal gangs, major media reported, citing Grönvall. She expressed concern about the exploitation, stating that it is heartbreaking that vulnerable children are exploited in this type of crime, according to major media. Grönvall added that she is upset and described the situation as terrible, cynical, and brutal, according to major media. She further noted that she is not surprised, as this development has been seen for a while, with criminal networks targeting children and young people with intellectual disabilities as a cynical business idea, according to major media.
I become very upset. It's terrible that we have a situation where criminal networks actively try to recruit children who have an intellectual disability. It's cynical and brutal.
Camilla Waltersson Grönvall is critical of how the Social Democrats in Stockholm have handled the situation with the recruitment of children from Polhem's adapted high school, major media reports. The Social Democrats in Stockholm say the new Social Services Act will be fully implemented only in the fall, according to major media. Grönvall emphasized that this is an incredibly important issue about protecting vulnerable children, according to major media. She also stated that the responsibility lies with municipalities to use the new legislation and expressed concern that the Social Democrats in Stockholm have not progressed further, citing the fall implementation as not good enough, according to major media. It remains unknown how many students at Polhem's adapted high school have been successfully recruited by gangs and how widespread the problem is across Sweden, as well as what the response from the Social Democrats in Stockholm is to the criticism from the Social Services Minister.
Unfortunately, I'm not surprised either, since we've seen this development for a while. It has become a kind of cynical business idea where they target children and young people with intellectual disabilities.
This is an incredibly important issue. It's about children who are already extra vulnerable – and that they are also exploited in this type of crime is absolutely heartbreaking. It shows how important it is for society to step forward and protect them.
When it comes to the part that lies with the municipalities – to use the new Social Services Act and confidentiality legislation – then the responsibility is municipal. Therefore, I'm concerned that the Social Democrats in Stockholm haven't come further. They say, for example, that the new Social Services Act will be fully implemented only in the fall. That's not good enough.