Sweden has been fighting gang crime for years to no avail. But now the violence appears to have reached its peak. Eleven people were murdered this month alone. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is now considering drastic consequences.
The army could soon be deployed in the fight against escalating gang violence in Sweden. Kristersson will meet with national police chief Anders Thornberg and military commander-in-chief Micael Bydén on Friday to explore how the armed forces can help police fight criminal gangs, the Swedish prime minister said in a speech to Sweden Nation on Thursday evening.
“We will hunt down the gangs and we will defeat the gangs,” the conservative head of government said. “We will bring them to justice. If they are Swedish citizens, they are imprisoned with very long prison terms. If they are foreign nationals, they will also be deported.”
Eleven murders in September
Sweden has been struggling with rampant gang crime for years, with shots fired and deliberate explosions taking place time and time again. This month, violence escalated again, which is believed to be related, among other things, to a suspected conflict within the criminal Foxtrot network.
Eleven people have already been shot this month, including bystanders. On Wednesday evening, shortly after 7 p.m., in an affluent suburb of Stockholm, a young man was shot dead near a sports complex where a training session with children was taking place.
Woman dies in explosion
Kristersson reacted in shock. “Innocent people with no ties to organized crime, including several children who had come for training, once again witnessed a brutal gun battle in which a man was shot dead,” he told TV4. In addition, a young woman (25) was killed in an explosion in a suburb of Uppsala on Thursday.
The region’s police representative, Catarina Bowall, stressed to journalists: “Crime has reached unprecedented levels. The situation in Uppsala and the rest of the country is very serious.”
Prime Minister speaks of ‘child soldiers’
Kristersson blamed the dramatic situation on years of political naivety. “Irresponsible immigration policies and failed integration have led us here,” he said. Exclusion and parallel societies provide a breeding ground for criminal gangs. “There they can ruthlessly recruit children and train future murderers,” the head of government said.
The perpetrators are also getting younger. The conservative further emphasized that Swedish legislation was not intended for “gang wars and child soldiers”. His government is now changing this, both in the areas of migration and criminal justice policy. Juvenile prisons should be built to separate young offenders from adult criminals. Work is also underway to ensure that all children learn the Swedish language.
Source: Krone
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