The Government's legislative proposal

The plan requires that sentences are shaped carefully so they actually reduce crime and rejects harder approaches lacking effect, which carries the counter-proposal's objection against a sharpening that the inquiry did not find support for. The plan also explicitly safeguards children and families in economic hardship, whom the sharpening risks hitting hardest. The committee's reasons for criminal prevention signalling and mitigation rules are directly met by the plan's requirement for documented effect.

• sentences shall be effectivedecisive»Straff och andra påföljder för brott behöver vara noggrant« (party programme ↗)“Sentences and other sanctions for crime need to be carefully”
• against symbolic repression»Alltför ofta lyfts repression och hårdare tag upp som lösningar istället för att ta itu med problemen på allvar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Too often repression and harder approaches are put forward as solutions instead of tackling problems seriously.”
• protection for disadvantaged families»Barn, sjuka och arbetslösa måste självklart ha samma rätt som arbetande människor att ha goda liv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Children, the sick and the unemployed must of course have the same right as working people to have good lives.”
• prevention over sharpened requirements»Vissa straff kan behöva höjas men mycket mer fokus måste riktas mot att förhindra rekryteringen av nya barn till gängkriminalitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Some sentences may need to be raised but much more focus must be directed towards preventing the recruitment of new children into gang crime.”

The election manifesto explicitly sharpens parents' responsibility when their children are drawn into crime, and the plan wishes to see offensive measures against recruitment of children and young people. This speaks against the counter-proposal's demand to reject the sharpening of parents' liability for damages. Demands for evidence and that children shall not grow up in poverty are counterweights but do not support the rejection.

• sharpened parental responsibilitydecisive»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 far-reaching social measures and parents shall be obliged to participate when their children need social services interventions.”
• against youth crime»Offensiva insatser mot nyrekrytering och utnyttjande av barn och unga.« (party programme ↗)“Offensive measures against recruitment and exploitation of children and young people.”
• evidence-based criminal policy»Kriminalpolitik byggd på evidens, effektivitet och rättssäkerhet.« (party programme ↗)“Criminal policy built on evidence, effectiveness and legal certainty.”
• protection for vulnerable families»Ett samhälle där barn inte växer upp i fattigdom.« (party programme ↗)“A society where children do not grow up in poverty.”

The plan's line against youth crime is preventive: early intervention and strong support for children at risk and their families, not tightened economic penalties. The plan also states that children should not grow up in economic hardship and that hardship should not be inherited, which speaks against tightened damages liability that especially affects economically disadvantaged parents. The counter-proposal's demand to reject precisely that part therefore follows from the plan.

• prevention before repressiondecisive»Den mest kraftfulla åtgärden mot brott är att förebygga att de sker och stöd måste ges i tid.« (party programme ↗)“The most powerful measure against crime is to prevent it from happening and support must be given in time.”
• support for families at risk»Skola, socialtjänst och polis ska samarbeta nära för att tidigt identifiera barn och unga i riskzonen och erbjuda dem och deras familjer kraftfullt stöd.« (party programme ↗)“Schools, social services and police should collaborate closely to early identify children and young people at risk and offer them and their families strong support.”
• no child poverty»Barn ska inte växa upp i ekonomisk utsatthet.« (party programme ↗)“Children should not grow up in economic hardship.”
• hardship should not be inherited»Ekonomisk utsatthet ska inte gå i arv.« (party programme ↗)“Economic hardship should not be inherited.”

The election manifesto explicitly says no to collective punishment and defends the individual's rights against the state; sharpened economic responsibility for another's actions lies close to that principle. The plan furthermore protects families with small margins. Against this stands the plan's demand for harder action against youth crime, which makes the conclusion uncertain.

• no to collective punishmentdecisive»Vi säger därför nej till visitationszoner, kollektiv bestraffning, omvänd bevisbörda, anonyma vittnen, preventiv avlyssning och inskränkningar av religionsfriheten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We therefore say no to search zones, collective punishment, reversed burden of proof, anonymous witnesses, preventive wiretapping and restrictions of religious freedom.”
• protect families with small margins»Det handlar bland annat om ensamstående föräldrar, småbarnsfamiljer och unga som försöker spara ihop till sin första bostad.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“This is among other things about single parents, families with young children and young people trying to save for their first home.”
• prevent recruitment to crime»För att besegra dem krävs bättre insatser som förebygger nyrekrytering, mer resurser till polis, åklagare, domstolar och kriminalvården och strängare straff.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“To defeat them requires better measures that prevent recruitment to crime, more resources for police, prosecutors, courts and criminal care, and stricter sentences.”

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 establishes that every parent has a responsibility to support their child and wants to see earlier, clearer, and tougher measures against young people sliding into criminality, including through mandatory measures for families. An emphasis on parental responsibility is thereby in line with the plan, and the counter-proposal's demand to strike the toughening receives no support. The plan's care for economically weak families with children is met through adjustment rules.

• parents' responsibilitydecisive»Varje förälder har ett ansvar att utifrån sina förutsättningar stödja sitt barn.« (party programme ↗)“Every parent has a responsibility to, based on their circumstances, support their child.”
• tougher measures against youth crime»Tidigare, tydligare och tuffare insatser för att förebygga och förhindra att unga glider in i brottslighet måste till.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Earlier, clearer, and tougher measures to prevent and stop young people from sliding into criminality are needed.”
• mandatory parental measures»För att förhindra att barn far illa och förebygga placeringar bör socialtjänsten kunna föreskriva obligatoriska åtgärder, även när ett omhändertagande inte är aktuellt.« (party programme ↗)“To prevent children from suffering and prevent placements, the social service should be able to prescribe mandatory measures, even when removal is not in question.”
• protection for economically weak families»Barnfamiljer med låg inkomst och hög boendekostnad ska kunna få särskilt stöd.« (party programme ↗)“Families with children with low income and high housing costs shall be able to receive special support.”

The election manifesto wants to prevent crime by strengthening families and parental responsibility, and the party programme emphasizes the family's role in raising and leading the young as a matter of utmost importance with personal responsibility for one's own actions. A counter-proposal that wants to reject exactly the tightening of parents' liability for damages goes against that marking. The plan's requirement for support to families that fail qualifies, and the adjustment rules answer that concern.

• strengthened parental responsibilitydecisive»Förebygg brott genom att stärka familjerna och föräldraansvaret och göra det obligatoriskt med föräldrastöd i alla Sverige kommuner.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Prevent crime by strengthening families and parental responsibility and make it mandatory with parental support in all Swedish municipalities.”
• family's role in raising youth»Familjens roll att fostra och leda de unga är av största vikt.« (party programme ↗)“The family's role in raising and leading the young is of utmost importance.”
• personal responsibility»Alla människor har ett personligt ansvar för sina medvetna handlingar.« (party programme ↗)“All people have a personal responsibility for their conscious actions.”
• support for struggling families»När familjen sviktar är det kommunens uppgift att socialt och ekonomiskt stödja familjen att kunna utföra sina uppgifter och skyldigheter.« (party programme ↗)“When the family fails it is the municipality's task to socially and economically support the family to be able to perform its tasks and obligations.”

The plan explicitly promises to emphasize and strengthen parental responsibility and that those who nonetheless choose the criminal path shall be met with early and clear consequences. The counter-proposal wants to reject precisely the tightening of parents' damages liability. The plan also wants to double damages to crime victims, which further speaks against reducing ambition on the compensation side.

• strengthened parental responsibilitydecisive»Betona och förstärka föräldraansvaret« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Emphasize and strengthen parental responsibility”
• early and clear consequences»Moderaterna menar att samhällets skyddsnät ska fungera så pass bra att unga i riskzonen fångas upp långt innan de begår allvarliga brott – men att de som ändå väljer den brottsliga vägen ska mötas av tidiga och tydliga konsekvenser.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Moderates believe that society's safety net shall function so well that young people at risk are caught long before they commit serious crimes – but those who nonetheless choose the criminal path shall be met with early and clear consequences.”
• higher damages to crime victims»Dubbla skadestånden till brottsoffer« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Double damages to crime victims”
• responsibility from a young age»skolan och socialtjänsten ska inskärpa den enskildes ansvar« (party programme ↗)“schools and social services shall emphasize the individual's responsibility”

The plan demands that significantly higher expectations are placed on parents and that damages are increased, with reparation of the crime victim as the starting point. The counter-proposal wants to reject precisely the tightening of parents' liability for damages, which goes against both these commitments. The plan therefore speaks against the counter-proposal's demands.

• stärkt föräldraansvardecisive»Betydligt högre förväntningar måste också ställas på föräldrar och allmänhet att bli en del av samhället och stoppa gängens framväxt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Significantly higher expectations must also be placed on parents and the public to become part of society and stop gang growth.”
• höjda skadestånd»Höja skadestånden« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Raise damages”
• brottsoffrets ställning»Stärka brottsoffrets ställning och öka stödet till brottsoffer« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen the crime victim's position and increase support for crime victims”
• tidiga ingripanden»Ge socialtjänst, skola och rättsväsende möjlighet att ingripa med tuffare tag i ett tidigt skede« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Give social services, schools and the justice system the opportunity to intervene with tougher measures at an early stage”