Svea Hovrätt has reduced the prison sentence for a 17-year-old convicted of murdering a 16-year-old boy in southern Stockholm last year. According to court reports, the appellate court sentenced the teenager to nine years and six months in prison, a reduction of more than one year from the original sentence of ten years and ten months imposed by the district court.
The murder occurred in March 2025 when the victim, identified as 16-year-old Rio, was walking home from a gym in the Fruängen district of southern Stockholm with friends. A lone gunman opened fire, discharging at least nine shots. Rio was struck in the head and died from his injuries, while one of his friends was also injured in the shooting.
when a serious crime is committed by a 16-year-old, a significant reduction in sentence length should be made compared to how an adult would be sentenced
Court documents indicate the shooting was likely a case of mistaken identity, with investigators believing the intended target was someone else. The perpetrator was 16 years old at the time of the murder.
In addition to the prison sentence, Svea Hovrätt ruled that the 17-year-old should be deported for life after serving his sentence. The court explained the sentence reduction was based on Swedish law and legal precedent regarding crimes committed by young offenders. Hovrättsrådet Daniel Thorsell stated in a press release that when a serious crime is committed by a 16-year-old, a significant reduction in sentence length should be made compared to how an adult would be sentenced.
Two young women who ordered a taxi for the 17-year-old were also convicted of protecting a criminal and received stricter sentences in the appellate court.