The use of "child soldiers" is a deliberate strategy by gang leaders to exploit Sweden's lenient sentencing for minors. Under Swedish law, children under the age of 15 cannot be prosecuted, and those aged 15-17 face less severe penalties than adults, often being placed in juvenile care facilities rather than prison. This has made them attractive-yet-expendable assets for hardened criminals.
The phenomenon is part of a wider crisis that has seen Sweden's gun crime rates surge, becoming one of the highest in the EU. Juvenile gang leaders, some as young as 15 or 16, have been known to command their own groups of assassins. One of the most notorious examples is Amir Mekky, a Danish citizen with Moroccan heritage who led a gang known as "Los Suecos" (The Swedes). Mekky, who was on Interpol's most-wanted list, was arrested in Dubai and was linked to a wave of bombings and shootings in Spain and Sweden. He exemplified the trend of young criminals rising to positions of power in these violent organizations.
The growing involvement of young people in serious crimes has prompted the Swedish government to announce a national strategy against organized crime, with a focus on tougher policies and a review of laws concerning juvenile offenders.