This year so far, 54 children under 15 have been suspected of endangering the public through destruction, nearly tripling last year's figure. Police point to ample access to explosives and recruitment of youth via games and social media. One case involved a 14-year-old arrested after a bombing in Stockholm.
Statistics from the Prosecution Authority reveal an alarming trend: from one child per year during 2018–2022 to 21 last year and now 54 so far this year. Mikaela Kym, group manager at police in Norrköping, explains that crime is driven by supply and demand. “It seems there is good access to explosives and young people who can be persuaded to commit these acts,” she tells Ekot.
Kym stresses that the perpetrators are mostly boys from various social backgrounds. Recruitment happens both online and offline. A common method is through the online game Fortnite, as in the case of a 14-year-old arrested in January for placing a dynamite charge at an apartment building in Hammarbyhöjden, southern Stockholm. “We have those who are threatened into it, and we also see those who at least on the surface seem voluntary, signing up for tasks posted on social media,” Kym adds.
Police note that contacts still occur in the physical world, despite growing digital involvement. The rapid increase highlights the need for measures against recruitment and explosives access.