Annette Lyth, an international law teacher at the Swedish Defence University, argues in DN Debatt that child soldiers should be regarded as victims under international law and research. She criticizes politicians pushing for harsher penalties for young people labeled as child soldiers. Experts and the international community disagree with this approach, she emphasizes.
In a debate article published on December 26, 2025, in Dagens Nyheter, Annette Lyth warns against a misguided approach to child soldiers in Sweden. As an international law teacher at the Swedish Defence University, she notes that politicians increasingly advocate for harsher penalties for younger individuals described as child soldiers. "When politicians push for harsher penalties for ever younger persons, whom they call child soldiers – they should ask themselves why no one who knows anything about the issue agrees with them," writes Lyth.
She emphasizes that all research on child soldiers, decades of international efforts, and positions from the global community indicate these individuals are victims rather than perpetrators. Under international law and established knowledge, the focus should be on protection and rehabilitation, not punishment. Lyth calls for a more nuanced discussion: "Let's then talk about child soldiers for real".
The article highlights a growing debate in Sweden on youth crime and how international norms apply locally. Lyth argues that political initiatives risk conflicting with established principles, potentially affecting legal security for vulnerable children. No specific incident or case is mentioned, but the text is placed in the broader context of ongoing political discussions on penalty enhancements.
