2025-03-262024/25:JuU24 · p.3JuUJustice
Other questions regarding the state's efforts for children suspected of serious crimes
Increased powers for residential-care staff and social services, and youth crime boards
What's at stake: Expanded coercive powers and new boards would change how authorities can intervene against young people suspected of crime, with consequences both for the children's legal safeguards and for the ability to prevent them from being drawn into serious crime.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether staff at residential homes and social services should be given expanded powers, such as conducting body searches and drug tests and closely monitoring specific young people, and whether a system of youth crime boards modeled on the Danish system should be introduced, or whether the government's already ongoing work in this area should be considered sufficient.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee welcomes the National Audit Office's review and the measures the government has already taken and planned in the criminal-law and social-law areas, and considers that this work, together with effective crime-prevention efforts and early, clear responses to young people who commit crimes, is the right way forward.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 3 (S)
The dissenters (S) want to give residential-home staff increased powers, such as conducting body searches, searching rooms, and deciding on drug tests and restrictions, to give social services the ability to closely monitor specific young people, to promptly set up an implementation committee for a system of youth crime boards modeled on Denmark, and to make it a crime to buy drugs from children, arguing that children today are ruthlessly exploited by criminal gangs.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 3 by S.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have gone the other way
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: KDKristdemokraterna, MModeraterna, SDSverigedemokraterna
Ja 210–94Nej 71–233
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | Yes | Yes 20/0/0/4 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| S | No | No 0/93/0/13 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| MP | Yes | Yes 16/0/0/2 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| C | No | Yes 20/0/0/4 | differs | confidence: low | derived |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | differs | confidence: high | derived |
| KD | No | Yes 17/0/0/2 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| M | No | Yes 60/0/0/8 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| SD | No | Yes 62/0/0/10 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2024/25:3111 by Teresa Carvalho et al. (S) demand 36 and 2024/25:3283 by Teresa Carvalho et al. (S) demands 3-6.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2024/25:3111 av Teresa Carvalho m.fl. (S) yrkande 36 och 2024/25:3283 av Teresa Carvalho m.fl. (S) yrkandena 3-6.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag has addressed a letter from the government concerning the state's efforts for children suspected of serious crimes. The letter is based on the National Audit Office's report in which the agency has examined how effective the state's efforts are to prevent children from committing serious crimes. The National Audit Office states that the state's efforts to stop children's serious criminality are not fully effective. In the letter, the government describes the measures it has taken and plans to take in response to the National Audit Office's report. These include criminal law and social law measures, more resources to authorities, municipalities and regions, and measures concerning parents and guardians. The Riksdag views positively the measures the government has taken and intends to take based on the National Audit Office's findings and recommendations. Extensive work is underway in the area within the Government Offices. Several inquiries have been appointed and are currently being prepared. The Riksdag filed the letter with the records, which means the matter was closed.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants the government to quickly proceed with the proposals in the investigation and return to parliament with legislation. (S) — Reservation 3
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan states that repression and tougher measures are too often held up as solutions instead of addressing the root causes of problems, and that punishments and sanctions should be carefully designed to actually reduce crime and not worsen problems.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that repression and tougher measures are too often held up as solutions instead of addressing the root causes of problems, and that punishments and sanctions should be carefully designed to actually reduce crime and not worsen problems. The counter-proposal's demands for searches, drug tests, tagging and youth crime committees are precisely such a repressive line against children, and the plan's protection of personal integrity speaks against it.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att repression och hårdare tag alltför ofta lyfts fram i stället för att ta itu med problemens orsaker, och att straff och påföljder ska vara noggrant utformade för att faktiskt sänka brottsligheten och inte förvärra problem. Motförslagets krav på visitationer, drogtester, punktmarkering och ungdomskriminalitetsnämnder är just en sådan repressiv linje mot barn, och planens skydd för den personliga integriteten talar emot den.
- repression doesn't solve crimedecisive»Alltför ofta lyfts repression och hårdare tag upp som lösningar istället för att ta itu med problemen på allvar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“All too often repression and tougher measures are held up as solutions instead of addressing problems seriously.”
- sanctions should reduce crime»Straff och andra påföljder för brott behöver vara noggrant« (party programme ↗)“Punishments and other sanctions for crime need to be carefully”
- thoughtful view of humans»Vägen till ett samhälle med låg brottslighet går genom en genomtänkt« (party programme ↗)“The path to a society with low crime goes through thoughtful”
- personal integrity»har rätt till skydd av sin personliga integritet.« (party programme ↗)“has the right to protection of their personal integrity.”
The plan requires toughened penalties for gang-related criminality and for those who support organized crime, while no young person should become criminal and recruitment must be halted.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires toughened penalties for gang-related criminality and for those who support organized crime, while no young person should become criminal and recruitment must be halted. Increased powers at residential care facilities, early and clear reactions against young people in crime and penalties for those who exploit children in drug trafficking are in line with both these commitments. The plan thus addresses both toughened penalties and the preventive work the committee refers to, but does not mention youth crime committees.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver skärpta straff för gängrelaterad brottslighet och för den som understödjer organiserad kriminalitet, samtidigt som ingen ung ska bli kriminell och nyrekryteringen måste stoppas. Ökade befogenheter på HVB-hem, tidiga och tydliga reaktioner mot unga i kriminalitet och straff för den som utnyttjar barn i narkotikahandel ligger i linje med båda dessa åtaganden. Planen berör alltså både straffskärpningar och det förebyggande arbete utskottet hänvisar till, men nämner inte ungdomskriminalitetsnämnder.
- penalties for those who exploit young peopledecisive»Vi vill skärpa straffen bland annat för gängrelaterad brottslighet, för den som begår upprepade och allvarliga brott och för den som understödjer organiserad kriminalitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to toughen penalties including for gang-related criminality, for those who commit repeated and serious crimes and for those who support organized crime.”
- halt recruitment»Ingen ung ska bli kriminell. Nyrekryteringen måste stoppas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“No young person shall become criminal. Recruitment must be halted.”
- toughened penalties»Skärpa straffen för att hålla de kriminella borta från gatorna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Toughen the penalties to keep criminals off the streets.”
- comprehensive social interventions»Vi vill se fler och mer långtgående sociala insatser och föräldrar ska vara skyldiga att medverka när deras barn behöver socialtjänstens åtgärder.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to see more and more comprehensive social interventions and parents shall be obligated to participate when their children need social services interventions.”
The party programme opposes all laws that involve disproportionate intrusions on integrity and states that crime prevention shall not occur at the expense of human rights, and that substance abuse shall be met with care rather than punishment.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme opposes all laws that involve disproportionate intrusions on integrity and states that crime prevention shall not occur at the expense of human rights, and that substance abuse shall be met with care rather than punishment. Body searches, room searches, drug tests and marking of children are such intrusions. The plan's way is instead preventative efforts in disadvantaged areas.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet motsätter sig alla lagar som innebär oproportionerliga ingrepp i integriteten och slår fast att brottsbekämpning inte får ske på bekostnad av mänskliga rättigheter, samt att missbruk ska mötas med vård snarare än straff. Kroppsvisitation, rumsgenomsökning, drogtester och punktmarkering av barn är sådana ingrepp. Planens väg är i stället förebyggande satsningar i utsatta områden.
- no to disproportionate intrusionsdecisive»Vi motsätter oss alla lagar som innebär oproportionerliga ingrepp i integriteten.« (party programme ↗)“We oppose all laws that involve disproportionate intrusions on integrity.”
- rights before coercive measures»Brotts- och terrorbekämpning är viktigt men ska inte ske på bekostnad av mänskliga rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“Crime and terror prevention are important but shall not occur at the expense of human rights.”
- care before punishment»Den enskildas missbruk är en sjukdom och vi vill se ett ändrat fokus från straff till vård.« (party programme ↗)“The individual's substance abuse is an illness and we want to see a changed focus from punishment to care.”
- prevention before repression»storsatsa på det förebyggande arbetet i socioekonomiskt eftersatta områden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“prioritise the preventative work in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.”
The election manifesto establishes that society shall not cave in to gangs and demands measures to prevent re-recruitment, stricter sentences and crackdowns on violence against children.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto establishes that society shall not cave in to gangs and demands measures to prevent re-recruitment, stricter sentences and crackdowns on violence against children. Measures that protect children from being exploited by criminals and that provide early, clear reactions align with this. At the same time, the party programme requires that all legislation be tested against its impact on personal integrity, which makes support for the more coercive powers uncertain.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet slår fast att samhället inte ska vika sig för gängen och kräver insatser som förebygger nyrekrytering, hårdare straff och krafttag mot våld mot barn. Åtgärder som skyddar barn från att utnyttjas av kriminella och som ger tidiga, tydliga reaktioner ligger i linje med det. Samtidigt kräver partiprogrammet att all lagstiftning prövas mot sin påverkan på den personliga integriteten, vilket gör stödet för de mer tvingande befogenheterna osäkert.
- crackdown on gangsdecisive»Samhället ska inte vika sig för gängen. För att besegra dem krävs bättre insatser som förebygger nyrekrytering, mer resurser till polis, åklagare, domstolar och kriminalvården och strängare straff.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Society shall not cave in to gangs. To defeat them requires better measures that prevent re-recruitment, more resources for police, prosecutors, courts and the penal system and stricter sentences.”
- stricter sentences and prevention»Sverige behöver fler poliser, hårdare straff och bättre förebyggande insatser — med krafttag mot såväl gängbrottslighet, våld mot barn och mäns våld mot kvinnor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden needs more police, stricter sentences and better preventive measures — with crackdowns on both gang crime, violence against children and men's violence against women.”
- prevent and deter»Kriminalpolitiken ska därför både förebygga och avskräcka från brott, stödja brottsdrabbade och stimulera dem som har begått olagliga handlingar till en ny livssituation utan brottslighet.« (party programme ↗)“Criminal policy should therefore both prevent and deter crime, support crime victims and stimulate those who have committed illegal acts to a new life situation without criminality.”
- integrity testing of legislationweak support»All lagstiftning bör prövas mot dess påverkan på människors personliga integritet.« (party programme ↗)“All legislation should be tested against its impact on people's personal integrity.”
flags: citat_svagt
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan's crucial commitment is earlier, clearer and tougher interventions against young people sliding into crime, with more mandatory family interventions and more removal of children raised into criminality.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's crucial commitment is earlier, clearer and tougher interventions against young people sliding into crime, with more mandatory family interventions and more removal of children raised into criminality. That bears the counter-proposal's requirement for expanded authority regarding placed young people, targeted marking and youth crime committees. Zero tolerance toward drugs in all levels and focus on those profiting from substance abuse support that purchase of drugs by children is criminalised.
Original (Swedish)
Planens avgörande åtagande är tidigare, tydligare och tuffare insatser mot unga som glider in i brottslighet, med fler obligatoriska familjeinsatser och fler omhändertaganden av barn som fostras in i kriminalitet. Det bär motförslagets krav på utökade befogenheter kring placerade unga, punktmarkering och ungdomskriminalitetsnämnder. Nolltoleransen mot narkotika i alla led och fokus på dem som profiterar på missbruket stöder att köp av narkotika av barn kriminaliseras.
- early and tough interventionsdecisive»Tidigare, tydligare och tuffare insatser för att förebygga och förhindra att unga glider in i brottslighet måste till.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Earlier, clearer and tougher interventions to prevent and hinder young people sliding into crime must come.”
- more removals into care»att betydligt fler barn som fostras in i kriminalitet eller själva begår grova brott ska kunna omhändertas« (2022 manifesto ↗)“that significantly more children raised into criminality or who themselves commit serious crimes shall be able to be taken into care”
- zero tolerance toward drugs»Nolltolerans ska råda mot narkotika i alla led av hanteringen.« (party programme ↗)“Zero tolerance shall apply to drugs in all levels of handling.”
- strike at those who profit»mot de kriminella som profiterar på missbruket genom tillverkning, smuggling och försäljning.« (party programme ↗)“against the criminals who profit from substance abuse through manufacture, smuggling and sale.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The election manifesto explicitly wants to strengthen social services' ability to take coercive measures against children and young people committing crimes and strike at what recruits young people into gang crime.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly wants to strengthen social services' ability to take coercive measures against children and young people committing crimes and strike at what recruits young people into gang crime. The party programme requires that all non-medical possession and use of drugs is prohibited and that the authorities react quickly to crimes by young people. Increased powers at HVB, dot marking, youth crime committees and criminalization of drug purchases by children are in line with this.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet vill uttryckligen stärka socialtjänstens möjligheter till tvingande åtgärder mot barn och unga som begår brott och slå mot det som rekryterar unga in i gängkriminalitet. Partiprogrammet kräver att allt ickemedicinskt innehav och bruk av narkotika är förbjudet och att myndigheterna reagerar snabbt på brott av unga. Ökade befogenheter på HVB, punktmarkering, ungdomskriminalitetsnämnder och kriminalisering av narkotikaköp av barn ligger i linje med detta.
- coercive measures against young offendersdecisive»Stärk sociala insatser och socialtjänstens möjligheter till tvingande åtgärder gentemot barn och unga som begår brott.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen social services and social services' ability to take coercive measures towards children and young people committing crimes.”
- quick reaction to youth crime»är särskilt viktigt att myndigheterna reagerar snabbt på« (party programme ↗)“is particularly important that the authorities react quickly to”
- drug-free society»narkotika ska vara förbjudet« (party programme ↗)“drugs shall be prohibited”
- break gangs' recruitment»Beslagta kriminellas statussymboler och bekämpa på så sätt negativa förebilder som rekryterar unga in i gängkriminalitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Confiscate criminals' status symbols and in this way combat negative role models that recruit young people into gang crime.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The plan requires early and clear consequences for young offenders: youth prisons, more detained young people, removed confidentiality barriers between police and social services, and reinstated drug police.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires early and clear consequences for young offenders: youth prisons, more detained young people, removed confidentiality barriers between police and social services, and reinstated drug police. The counter-proposal's requirements for expanded authority at HVB, point marking, youth crime committees and criminalization of drug purchases from children are in line with these commitments. The plan also explicitly points to Danish penalties as a model.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver tidiga och tydliga konsekvenser för unga som begår brott: ungdomsfängelser, fler häktade unga, borttagna sekretesshinder mellan polis och socialtjänst samt återinförda narkotikapoliser. Motförslagets krav på utökade befogenheter på HVB, punktmarkering, ungdomskriminalitetsnämnder och kriminalisering av narkotikaköp från barn ligger i linje med dessa åtaganden. Planen pekar dessutom uttryckligen på danska straff som förebild.
- skärpta insatser mot ungadecisive»Utreda sänkt straffmyndighetsålder och inrätta ungdomsfängelser« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Investigate lowering the age of criminal responsibility and establish youth prisons”
- fler häktade unga»Se till att fler unga lagöverträdare häktas när det rör sig om allvarliga brott och det finns risk för återfall« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Ensure that more young law-breakers are held in custody when serious crimes are involved and there is a risk of reoffending”
- samverkan utan sekretesshinder»Ta bort sekretesshindren mellan polis och socialtjänst samt inrätta ett nationellt no entry-program för unga i riskzonen i syfte att snabbt stoppa en påbörjad kriminell karriär« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Remove the confidentiality barriers between police and social services and establish a national no entry program for young people at risk with the aim of quickly stopping a begun criminal career”
- narkotikan bekämpas hårdare»Återinföra de specialiserade narkotikapoliserna« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reinstate the specialized drug police”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The election manifesto states that many of the measures tested in Denmark should be implemented against gangs and that police and social services should be given tools to intervene hard and early, including restricting the freedom of movement of gang members.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto states that many of the measures tested in Denmark should be implemented against gangs and that police and social services should be given tools to intervene hard and early, including restricting the freedom of movement of gang members. The counter-proposal's demands for expanded authority in residential care homes, point marking, youth crime committees following the Danish model, and criminalization of drug purchases by children thereby align directly with the plan. The plan also requires that procedural obstacles to increased prosecution be removed.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet slår fast att många av de åtgärder som prövats i Danmark ska genomföras mot gängen och att polis och socialtjänst ska ges verktyg att ingripa hårt och tidigt, inklusive att begränsa rörelsefriheten för gängaktiva. Motförslagets krav på utökade befogenheter vid HVB, punktmarkering, ungdomskriminalitetsnämnder efter dansk modell och kriminalisering av narkotikaköp av barn ligger därmed rakt i planens linje. Planen kräver också att processuella hinder mot ökad lagföring undanröjs.
- Danish measures against gangsdecisive»Många åtgärder som prövats i Danmark ska genomföras för att bekämpa gängen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Many measures that have been tested in Denmark should be implemented to combat gangs.”
- tools against criminal lifestyle»Polis, socialtjänst och kronofogde ska ges verktyg att statuera exempel och göra den kriminella livsstilen oattraktiv« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Police, social services, and enforcement agency shall be given tools to set an example and make the criminal lifestyle unattractive”
- early and tough interventions»Ge socialtjänst, skola och rättsväsende möjlighet att ingripa med tuffare tag i ett tidigt skede« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Give social services, school, and the judiciary the opportunity to intervene with tougher measures at an early stage”
- increased prosecution»Processuella hinder för att möjliggöra en ökad lagföring måste också undanröjas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Procedural obstacles to enable increased prosecution must also be removed.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2024/25:JuU24)
- Committee report full text (HC01JuU24)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2024/25:3111 — Utgiftsområde 4 Rättsväsendet av Teresa Carvalho m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:3283 — med anledning av skr. 2024/25:54 Riksrevisionens rapport om statens insatser för barn som misstänks för grova brott av Teresa Carvalho m.fl. (S)
- Regeringens skrivelse 2024/25:54 — Riksrevisionens rapport om statens insatser för barn som misstänks för grova brott
Source: The Swedish Parliament