Sweden plans to reduce the penalties for “key witnesses” to fight organized crime
Sweden has revealed plans to combat gang violence by reducing the penalties for those who cooperate with the police.
The proposal focuses on suspects and “key witnesses” who can work with criminal investigators to help identify other perpetrators.
The Social Democrats’ Minister of Justice Morgan Johansson said that the plans aimed to “break the culture of silence” within Swedish gangs.
“It will pay to cooperate with the police,” he told a news conference on Friday.
Swedish criminals can currently be punished if they cooperate with investigators in their own case, but not by helping to catch others.
The bill – which was originally presented in 2019 – also proposes tougher penalties for intimidating witnesses and obstructing justice.
“Those who attack prosecutors and witnesses attack not only them but also the justice system as a whole,” Johansson said.
In recent years, Sweden has faced a wave of organized crime and fatal shootings.
One of the country’s most famous rappers – 19-year-old Einar – was was murdered in a Stockholm suburb in October last year.
In 2021 alone, the Scandinavian country registered a total of 346 shootings, which resulted in 46 deaths.
The Swedish government says that the latest proposals have been inspired by similar measures in Norway and Denmark to combat organized crime.
The issue will also be a crucial part of the campaign work ahead of Sweden’s next parliamentary election in September.
The Social Democratic government had already responded to the criticism by adopting a law last summer that sharpened the penalties for young criminals between the ages of 18 and 20.