The government has proposed lowering the age of criminal responsibility for serious crimes, such as murder. Under the proposal, 13-year-olds could be sentenced to prison. The proposal has been met with criticism, and the Swedish Prison and Probation Service has said no to it.
Felice, a 7-year-old from Gävle, is against the proposal and wrote a letter to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson about it. According to SVT Gävleborg, Felice appealed to the Prime Minister not to put 13-year-olds in prison. In his response, Ulf Kristersson explains that children who commit very serious crimes, such as murder, need to be locked up in prison to protect other children from violence, but he states that those children should still be able to go to school and get help and support to stop committing crimes.
Children as young as 13 should be taken care of in other ways.
According to SVT Gävleborg, Felice almost agrees with the Prime Minister's response, and he plans to frame the letter. The specific criticisms beyond the Swedish Prison and Probation Service's opposition have not been detailed, and the current status of the proposal, such as whether it is under review or voted on, remains unclear. It is also unknown how many 13-year-olds are currently involved in serious crimes like murder in Sweden, what alternative methods the Swedish Prison and Probation Service proposes, or the full content of Felice's handwritten letter.
Then you are still a child.
I thought I would get a response.
Almost.