Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wants to deploy the army to combat escalating gang violence in the country. On Friday he would discuss with the police chief and the commander-in-chief of the army “how the armed forces can support the police in the fight against gangs,” Kristersson said in a televised speech on Thursday evening. Three people were killed in less than 24 hours in suspected clashes between rival criminal gangs.
Sweden has been struggling with a huge increase in gang crime for years. The gangs wage bloody battles for control of the drug and arms trade, and revenge attacks occur repeatedly.
In Sweden there is shooting almost every day
The gang war has now moved from notorious suburbs to the center of major cities such as Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö. Almost every day there are shots fired in the streets and explosions in residential buildings. Recently, fatal gun attacks have increased dramatically, and victims increasingly include minors and bystanders. Last year, 391 gun attacks were registered in the Scandinavian country, 62 of which were fatal.
On Wednesday evening, an 18-year-old was shot dead in an affluent suburb of Stockholm on a football field where a training session with children was taking place. Around midnight, two people were injured by gunfire in another suburb, one of whom later died. Three suspects were arrested.
That same night, a 25-year-old was killed in an explosion in a suburb of the university city of Uppsala, 70 kilometers north of Stockholm. Five houses were damaged. According to police, the murdered woman had no ties to the gangs.
Police officer Catarina Bowall told journalists in Uppsala:
Many children and innocent people in particular become victims
According to a tally of gang violence by public television channel SVT, 11 people have already been killed in September – the highest number of victims in one month in four years. Among the dead is a 13-year-old boy, whose body was found in a forest. The Public Prosecution Service assumes that he is also a victim of gang violence.
“More and more children and completely innocent people are being affected by this extreme violence,” Prime Minister Kristersson said in his televised address. And further:
Kristersson blamed years of political “naivety” for the increase in violence. “An irresponsible immigration policy and failed integration have brought us here,” said the conservative politician. The Swedish Criminal Code is not yet “designed for gang wars and child soldiers – but we are now changing that.”
“We will take down the gangs”
According to Kristersson, new laws will come into force in the coming days that will allow police to intercept criminal gangs and search suspects in certain areas. Tougher penalties for repeat offenders and significantly longer prison sentences for certain crimes are also planned.
“We will track down the gangs and we will defeat the gangs,” Kristersson assured. ‘We will bring them to justice. If they are Swedish citizens, they are imprisoned with long prison sentences. If they are foreign nationals, they will be deported,” he announced. Foreigners “who are in criminal gang circles, even if they have not committed a crime,” are also at risk of deportation.
Kristersson also spoke out in favor of surveillance cameras in public places and special prisons for young offenders.
(t-online/afp)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
