The New Sweden Friday, Feb 6, 2009

Most links are in Swedish, but try the google-translate tool here.

3:52 PM The Muqata reported; Israel Defense Forcec killed a terrorist at North Gaza border as he was throwing a grenade at the forces on the other side of the fence. One of the two terrorists blew himself up after he dropped his grenade when he got shot.

3:22 PM 14-year-old boy in Linköping is suspected of 48 serious crimes. He has robbed, threatened and beat others. A typical case that indicates what’s happening when the social services aren’t doing enough, the police consider.

The 14-year-old boy has an extensive criminal record. He has among other things appeared in (notice the short period):

• Physical abuse against a hockey player, September
• Robbery, November
• Robbery, in the beginning of December
• Before Christmas, another robbery (perpetrated with a knife)
• In the Christmas holidays, he took part in a fight that ended up with a physical abuse
• In January, He made himself guilty of lawsuit abuse, by threatening witnesses in a robbery trial.

The police described a feeling of powerlessness.

Not punishable

People under 15 years are not punishable, may not be investigated by the police and can not be prosecuted in the court. It is the social services job to take care of minors with criminal behaviour. But when the measures from the social services aren’t enough, the police can’t do anything about it.

Police and the school have repeatedly reported the boy to the social services, said Kenth Almroth, police in Linköping.

The boy participated in his first illegal house burglary when he was 12 years old. He has been known by the police since 2003.

Sofia Larsson thinks that the signal, sent to other children and young people is:

“Everyone knows that the boy is committing crimes, but nothing’s happening.”

19 thefts

The list over the crimes that the 14-year-old boy is suspected for over the last year, including 19 thefts.

“The method is, go towards someone in the town, demand to see his/her mobile phone, then take the mobile phone and walk away,” describes the police Kenth Almroth.

Robbery and threat

The police have reported to the social services that the boy, over the last year, has been suspected for 9 robberies, 3 threats against the law, 2 vandalisms, 3 physically abuses, 2 vehicle thefts, 1 narcotic crime, 1 sexual harassment and 1 lawsuit abuse.

“If this isn’t enough for a young person to be taken care of by the social services, what is required then?” The police Kenth Almroth wonder.