Violent violence becomes “new normal” in Sweden – EURACTIV.com
Stockholm was again a place for deadly gun violence at the end of August when four separate shootings in the capital left one person dead and another seriously injured – incidents so common that Swedish media talk about a “new normal”.
In mid-August this year, a total of 26 fatal shootings were reported in Sweden, 19 of them in Stockholm. Last year, the country registered 366 shootings that resulted in 47 deaths. Compared to 22 European countries, only Croatia has experienced more gun-related deaths per capita in the last four years, Reuters reported.
Stockholm is home to more than 50 criminal gangs, newspaper Today’s news has reported. Gang wars, social problems, segregation and drug trafficking are all part of the problem and largely explain the upward trend.
However, the country is trying to tackle the problem through tougher measures. The police can get more tools, including the ability to monitor mobile communication data – which may require changes in the law – promised Interior Minister Mikael Damberg at a press conference in August. The appointed Commission is also expected to draw up a report on the situation next year.
But the eradication is expected to take time: The results can take up to 10 or even 15 years, said Stockholm’s Deputy Regional Police Commissioner. Today’s news in a new interview. (Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)