Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Barn, men ändå vuxna: straff och ansvar i förändring - En rättshistorisk analys av den straffrättsliga synen på barn som lagöverträdare i ljuset av förslaget om sänkt straffbarhetsålder

Saliba, Amanda LU (2025) JURM02 20252
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract (Swedish)
De senaste åren har präglats av en repressiv kriminalpolitik vilket kommit till uttryck i reformer som påverkat särbehandlingen av barn och unga la-göverträdare. I juli 2023 tillsattes utredningen SOU 2025:11 Straffbarhets-åldern med uppdrag att överväga och föreslå en sänkning av straffbarhets-åldern. Utredningens arbete resulterade till en sänkning av straffbarhetsål-dern till 14 år vid allvarlig brottslighet. Regeringen har föreslagit att sänka straffbarhetsåldern ytterligare till 13 år för vissa allvarliga brott i syfte att bryta den organiserade brottsligheten som krupit sig ner i åldrarna.
Uppsatsen syftar till att utreda den straffrättsliga synen av barn och unga lagöverträdare mot bakgrund av dagens förslag om sänkt... (More)
De senaste åren har präglats av en repressiv kriminalpolitik vilket kommit till uttryck i reformer som påverkat särbehandlingen av barn och unga la-göverträdare. I juli 2023 tillsattes utredningen SOU 2025:11 Straffbarhets-åldern med uppdrag att överväga och föreslå en sänkning av straffbarhets-åldern. Utredningens arbete resulterade till en sänkning av straffbarhetsål-dern till 14 år vid allvarlig brottslighet. Regeringen har föreslagit att sänka straffbarhetsåldern ytterligare till 13 år för vissa allvarliga brott i syfte att bryta den organiserade brottsligheten som krupit sig ner i åldrarna.
Uppsatsen syftar till att utreda den straffrättsliga synen av barn och unga lagöverträdare mot bakgrund av dagens förslag om sänkt straffbarhetsålder. För att uppnå syftet undersöks synen av barn och unga lagöverträdares straffrättsliga ansvar och skuld samt hur synen utvecklats och motiverats genom rättshistorien, förarbeten och kriminalpolitiken. En central del inom den rättshistoriska förändringen är behandlingsideologins framväxt som även präglat synen på barn och unga lagöverträdare. Uppsatsen utgår dels utifrån ett barnrättsperspektiv, dels utifrån teorin om den straffrättsliga per-sonen. Barnrättsperspektivet innefattar såväl barnkonventionen som FN:s barnrättskommittés rekommendationer och allmänna kommentarer. Teorin om den straffrättsliga personen utgår från Esko Yli-Hemminkis avhandling som syftar till att kritiskt granska teorin om den straffrättsliga personen. För att besvara uppsatsens frågeställningar används en rättsanalytisk- och en rättshistorisk metod, vilket möjliggör ett friare urval av material.
Uppsatsens slutsats är att synen på barn och unga lagöverträdare visar en förskjutning från en syn om behandling till bestraffning. Barn och unga lagöverträdare betraktas inte längre som individer i behov av vård och be-handling, utan snarare som ansvarsbärande individer som ska mötas med proportionella straffåtgärder. Konsekvensen av förskjutningen i synen på barn och unga resulterar i att straffrätten bygger på antaganden om barn och ungas mognad och ansvar som inte stämmer med verkligheten, vilket i sin tur legitimerar en strängare syn och repressiva straff. (Less)
Abstract
In recent years, Swedish criminal policy has become increasingly repressive, a development reflected in reforms that have affected the special treatment of children and young offenders. In July 2023, the inquiry SOU 2025:11 The Age of Criminal Responsibility was appointed with the task of considering and proposing a lowering of the age of criminal responsibility. The inquiry resulted in a proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years for serious offences. Subsequently, the government proposed a further reduction to 13 years for certain serious crimes, with the stated aim of combating organised crime that has increasingly involved younger children.
The purpose of this thesis is to examine the criminal law approach to... (More)
In recent years, Swedish criminal policy has become increasingly repressive, a development reflected in reforms that have affected the special treatment of children and young offenders. In July 2023, the inquiry SOU 2025:11 The Age of Criminal Responsibility was appointed with the task of considering and proposing a lowering of the age of criminal responsibility. The inquiry resulted in a proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years for serious offences. Subsequently, the government proposed a further reduction to 13 years for certain serious crimes, with the stated aim of combating organised crime that has increasingly involved younger children.
The purpose of this thesis is to examine the criminal law approach to children and young offenders in light of current proposals to lower the age of criminal responsibility. To achieve this aim, the thesis analyses perceptions of criminal responsibility and culpability attributed to children and young offenders, as well as how these perceptions have developed and been justi-fied through legal history, preparatory works, and criminal policy. A cen-tral aspect of the legal-historical development examined is the emergence of the treatment ideology, which has significantly influenced the view of children and young offenders.
The thesis adopts both a children’s rights perspective and the theory of the criminal law subject. The children’s rights perspective encompasses the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as the recommendations and general comments of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. The theory of the criminal law subject is based on Esko Yli-Hemminki’s dissertation, which critically examines the concept of the criminal law subject. To answer the research questions, the thesis applies both a legal-analytical and a legal-historical method, allowing for a broader selection of material.
The conclusion of the thesis is that the view of children and young offend-ers has shifted from an emphasis on treatment towards punishment. Children and young offenders are no longer primarily regarded as individuals in need of care and treatment, but rather as responsible actors to be met with proportionate penal sanctions. This shift results in a criminal law frame-work built upon assumptions about children’s maturity and responsibility that do not align with reality, thereby legitimising a harsher and more repressive penal approach. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Saliba, Amanda LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
Children, Yet Treated as Adults: Punishment and Responsibility in Transition – A Legal-Historical Analysis of Criminal Law’s View of Child Offenders in Light of the Proposal to Lower the Age of Criminal Responsibility
course
JURM02 20252
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
Straffrätt, Rättshistoria, Unga lagöverträdare, Straffbarhetsålder
language
Swedish
id
9217103
date added to LUP
2026-01-18 12:44:19
date last changed
2026-01-18 12:44:19
@misc{9217103,
  abstract     = {{In recent years, Swedish criminal policy has become increasingly repressive, a development reflected in reforms that have affected the special treatment of children and young offenders. In July 2023, the inquiry SOU 2025:11 The Age of Criminal Responsibility was appointed with the task of considering and proposing a lowering of the age of criminal responsibility. The inquiry resulted in a proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years for serious offences. Subsequently, the government proposed a further reduction to 13 years for certain serious crimes, with the stated aim of combating organised crime that has increasingly involved younger children.
The purpose of this thesis is to examine the criminal law approach to children and young offenders in light of current proposals to lower the age of criminal responsibility. To achieve this aim, the thesis analyses perceptions of criminal responsibility and culpability attributed to children and young offenders, as well as how these perceptions have developed and been justi-fied through legal history, preparatory works, and criminal policy. A cen-tral aspect of the legal-historical development examined is the emergence of the treatment ideology, which has significantly influenced the view of children and young offenders.
The thesis adopts both a children’s rights perspective and the theory of the criminal law subject. The children’s rights perspective encompasses the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as the recommendations and general comments of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. The theory of the criminal law subject is based on Esko Yli-Hemminki’s dissertation, which critically examines the concept of the criminal law subject. To answer the research questions, the thesis applies both a legal-analytical and a legal-historical method, allowing for a broader selection of material.
The conclusion of the thesis is that the view of children and young offend-ers has shifted from an emphasis on treatment towards punishment. Children and young offenders are no longer primarily regarded as individuals in need of care and treatment, but rather as responsible actors to be met with proportionate penal sanctions. This shift results in a criminal law frame-work built upon assumptions about children’s maturity and responsibility that do not align with reality, thereby legitimising a harsher and more repressive penal approach.}},
  author       = {{Saliba, Amanda}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Barn, men ändå vuxna: straff och ansvar i förändring - En rättshistorisk analys av den straffrättsliga synen på barn som lagöverträdare i ljuset av förslaget om sänkt straffbarhetsålder}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}