– We must be clear that crime has consequences. Youth punishment should not be voluntary and the police should be able to pick up young people who do not comply with youth punishment, says Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp).
A majority in the Storting already decided in December last year that action had to be taken. Among other things, it was decided that it will be possible to combine youth punishment with unconditional imprisonment and the use of ankle chains. It was also opened that detention can be carried out with ankle chains. These changes came into force on 1 July.
Since then, the government has come up with further legislative proposals. Several of them come into force today, 1 September.
Gives the courts more power
Consent from the young person and the young person’s guardian is no longer required to remove a juvenile sentence. Instead, a requirement is being introduced that the court must consider youth punishment as a suitable response, the Ministry of Justice informs NTB.
Requirements for consent during the execution of the sentence are also removed.
In addition, the police are authorized to pick up young people who do not attend juvenile detention. The courts are allowed to combine youth sentences with unconditional imprisonment of up to 6 months in the most serious cases.
– If a young person serving a youth sentence does not comply with the requirements set, for example by the person intoxicated and staying in a place they are not supposed to be, the court can decide that the young person must continue serving the sentence with ankle chains, says Mehl.
Worrying development
The courts can also combine juvenile punishment with loss of rights, including contact bans or residence bans with electronic control.
It is also no longer a requirement that the offender must have committed repeated or serious crimes in order to be sentenced to a youth sentence.
The government has also proposed a fast track in the courts for young offenders under the age of 18, but this is still pending in Parliament.
The worrying development in child and youth crime in Norway is the reason why the government is now tightening its grip.
The police have sounded the alarm several times about the development and politicians have warned of so-called “Swedish conditions”. This summer alone, several serious incidents of violence in Norway have been committed by young people.
Figures from the police show that in 2023 around 5,400 violent offenses committed by young people under the age of 18 were prosecuted. This is an increase of 37 percent compared to 2022.
The government has earmarked around NOK 19 million this year to implement the adopted changes to the law and to improve the penalties.
#Tougher #penalties #juvenile #offenders #effect #today
2024-09-02 07:03:24
