Manny Ita –
Sweden is planning to introduce electronic monitoring bracelets for children considered vulnerable to recruitment by criminal gangs, as authorities intensify efforts to tackle rising gang-related violence.
Under the proposal, children and teenagers aged 13 and above could be required to wear electronic bracelets to ensure they comply with curfews imposed by social services. The government estimates that between 50 and 100 young people could initially be monitored under the scheme.
Officials say organised criminal networks in Sweden have increasingly exploited minors to carry out murders and violent crimes because children below the age of criminal responsibility have traditionally avoided prison sentences. The country is set to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13 beginning July 1 for serious offences carrying prison terms of at least four years.
Social Services Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall said the proposed device would resemble a regular watch or bracelet rather than the ankle monitors commonly associated with convicted offenders, in an effort to reduce stigma for children involved.
According to the minister, authorities currently suspect at least 173 children under the age of 15 of involvement in murders or murder plots. She also revealed that courts handled 52 evidentiary proceedings involving children last year, where judges determined whether minors below the criminal age threshold had committed offences even though they could not legally be punished.
The proposal has sparked criticism from child rights groups, including UNICEF and Sweden’s National Council for Crime Prevention, with opponents warning that the measures could undermine children’s civil liberties and privacy rights.
Swedish authorities have already expanded police powers in recent months, allowing law enforcement since October 2025 to wiretap electronic communications involving children under 15.
Defending the plan, Waltersson Grönvall said the government needed stronger tools to protect vulnerable youths from being drawn deeper into organised crime. She argued that electronic monitoring could help interrupt dangerous patterns early and improve child safety.
The proposal comes as Sweden’s minority right-wing government, supported in parliament by the far-right Sweden Democrats, continues to push tougher anti-crime and immigration measures ahead of the country’s general election scheduled for September 13.
