Sweden is facing a surge in child involvement in gang-related violence, with authorities alarmed by the rise in contract killings executed by minors.
The country, which leads Europe in gun violence, saw child-related murder cases spike from 31 to 102 between January and August 2023.
Recruiters target vulnerable children on platforms like Snapchat and Telegram. Group chats with names like “bombing today” attract thousands, offering up to £13,000 for hits.
Many recruits some as young as 11, are often tasked with killing family members of rival gangsters. Head of the police gang task force, Erik Lindblad, described this as “the new normal.”
