Sharp increase in children in the arrest – linked to the gang’s recruitment of young to crime

earthpressnews

A total of 2020 were placed in custody children in the arrest in Sweden last year. It is a record number of compared to the last three years, which is as far back as the police have relevant statistics.

Also on the arrest in Norrköping, there has been an increased number of arrested children-something that the Ombudsman for Justice, JO, noted at a so-called Opcat inspection of the arrest last fall. In 2024, 74 children were taken in, compared to the 12 that were taken in in 2020.

The wave of violence in Norrköping

  • After the drug raid in Norrköping – two gang criminals are charged

  • 16-year-old was shot to death in Norrköping-two men receive prison sentences

    • High pressure on the Prison and Probation Service

    Persons under the age of 18 must primarily be placed in the detention of the Prison and Probation Service, where better conditions for receiving young people are located.

    – But even the Prison and Probation Service has a high pressure, which means that they cannot always receive the detained youth. This means that you end up in our arrest, says Frida Braf.

    Statistics from the police show a clear increase in the number of people under 18 who have been placed in the arrest in Norrköping. Photo: SVT graphics

    “Everything to avoid the arrest”

    Pierre Frennesson is a defense lawyer and has experience in representing younger people placed in the arrest.

    – My view is that no young people are positively affected by staying or locked in on the arrest, he says.

    What are the options?

    – That’s what is the big challenge. You can try to see if there is free space on the detention or if there is any office room where you can temporarily lock in the young. But all to avoid the arrest cell.

    JavaScript must be turned on in order to play video

    Pierre Frennesson is a defense lawyer and has experience in representing young clients. In the clip he answers three questions about children placed in the arrest. Photo: Axel Brantemo/SVT

    • Opcat is a voluntary protocol to the UN Convention on Torture and Inhuman Treatment. The protocol requires states to have a national system that monitors the issue.

    • In Sweden, the Ombudsman for Justice, JO, has the special assignment to regularly inspect places where people are kept detained.

    • The inspections are documented and can, for example, lead to the investigation being investigated as a new case within the JO office.

    The number of custodial children who were brought into police arrests per year in Sweden:

    • 2021: 1632

    • 2022: 1556

    • 2023: 1853

    • 2024: 2020

    Source: Police

    sv-general-01