HOW SWEDISH GANGS RECRUIT CHILDREN FOR DEADLY CONTRACT KILLINGS
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Sweden is facing a surge in child involvement in gang-related violence, with authorities alarmed by the rise in contract killings executed by minors.
According to UK Mail, the country, which leads Europe in gun violence, saw child-related murder cases spike from 31 to 102 between January and August 2023.
Recruiters target vulnerable children on platforms like Snapchat and Telegram. Group chats with names like “bombing today” attract thousands, offering up to £13,000 for hits.
Many recruits come from impoverished backgrounds, lured by the promise of money and anonymity.
Children, some as young as 11, are often tasked with killing family members of rival gangsters. Gangs prefer minors under 15, exploiting Swedish laws that protect them from prosecution.
Head of the police gang task force, Erik Lindblad,described this as “the new normal.”
Online chat groups, sometimes reaching tens of thousands of participants, allow recruits to volunteer for assassinations. Girls and children with mental disabilities are also targeted, as gangs believe they raise less suspicion.
Instructions for hits are detailed and chilling. In one case, a handler advised a recruit to break into a target’s apartment and stash the weapon afterward. “Then go home and shower and wash your clothes,” the handler added.
Calls to reform laws have intensified, with prosecutors pushing for harsher penalties for child offenders. A 17-year-old shooter received an eight-year sentence for a restaurant murder, while a 19-year-old accomplice was sentenced to life.
In Stockholm, a 16-year-old accepted £4,600 to carry out a shooting, later charged with attempted murder. Police chief Carin Götblad highlighted the lack of remorse in child suspects, noting their calm demeanor during questioning.
A shocking 2023 attack saw a two-year-old shot through a stuffed toy in a gang-related home invasion. The assailant, targeting the wrong house, killed two more people. The teenager responsible received a record 12-year sentence.
Many gang leaders operate from abroad, complicating efforts to bring them to justice. A 14-year-old in Spain was arrested for running a gun-for-hire network using child recruits in Sweden and Denmark.
Rivalries between gangs like the Foxtrot and Dalen groups have fueled the violence. “Black September” in 2023 saw over 40 violent incidents and 12 deaths in 20 days.
Despite a slight decline in overall shootings, police warn the murder rate remains high. Lindblad urged society to take the issue seriously, criticizing the inaction against online recruitment. “If a criminal had stood in a square and shouted to 10,000 children… society would have reacted,” he said.
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