Gangs now using child assassins after Sweden passes law making it illegal to prosecute kids for crime

In 2023, Sweden’s Social Democratic party passed a law that made it illegal to arrest, detain, or prosecute children under the age of 15 for any crime. Not just minor offenses—any crime. It also wiped out all criminal penalties for kids.

Predictably, things have gone off the rails.

Prosecutor John Rosell from Gothenburg didn’t mince words:

“We see an enormous increase in young people committing serious crimes. There is a need for increased opportunities to deprive young people of their liberty. It is completely decisive for being able to combat serious crime.”

Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer is now scrambling to undo the damage. He’s pushing for changes that would let police use coercive measures against kids to prevent crimes and solve cases.

But the gangs? They’re loving this.

The Rise of Child Hitmen

Like something out of a dystopian novel, Sweden’s gangs have started recruiting children with renewed enthusiasm. Think Fagin from Oliver Twist, except instead of pickpocketing, these kids are now contract killers.

In one chilling example, a 14-year-old assassin walked reporters through how he gets his assignments. His handler—a member of Sweden’s infamous Foxtrot gang—sent him detailed instructions via text:

“If the [entrance] is locked, take a stone and break it,” the handler, known as “Louise Gucci,” told him. “Then you do your thing. Afterward, when you come back to the hood, you put the Kalashnikov in the same place. Then go home, shower, and wash your clothes.”

Yes, that’s right. A 14-year-old. Taking orders to kill.

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Murder-for-Hire Ads on Social Media

If you thought this couldn’t get any darker, think again. These jobs are openly advertised on platforms like TikTok and Snapchat with names like “bombing today” and “who wants to shoot someone in Stockholm.”

It’s not just one-off hits, either. There are horrifying accounts of children wiping out entire families—toddlers and infants included. The details are so gruesome they’re difficult to stomach.

Carin Götblad, a Stockholm police chief, dismissed any notion that these kids don’t understand the weight of their actions:

“Some people say, ‘they don’t understand what they have done.’ They may not fully understand the consequences of what they have done, but if you are 14 years old and you shoot a person in the head, you understand that this man is dead.”

Gangs Exploit the Innocent

Gangs aren’t stopping at just any kids. They’re targeting girls and children with disabilities, knowing they’ll draw less suspicion from victims. Imagine looking through your peephole and seeing what looks like a group of Girl Scouts selling cookies. You open the door, and instead of Thin Mints, you get knives.

It sounds absurd, but this is the reality Sweden is now grappling with.

What Happens Next?

Justice Minister Strömmer and others are racing to revise or repeal the law, but it’s a high-stakes game. Every delay gives gangs more time to exploit the system and expand their child armies.

The question remains: how do you balance protecting children from exploitation while ensuring those who commit heinous crimes face consequences?

For now, Sweden’s streets are a grim reminder of what happens when good intentions collide with criminal ingenuity.

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