Police in Sweden are investigating a suspected gang recruitment attempt after children as young as eight were approached by teenagers and offered money and gifts during a football game near Stockholm.
The incident took place last weekend at Stuvsta IP in Huddinge, where four eight-year-olds were playing as an older youth team held a match nearby. According to police, a group of teenagers aged around 15 approached the children, asking personal questions about their age, where they lived, and whether they could share their phone numbers.
Only one of the children had a smartphone, while the others used smartwatches limited to parental contact.
The teenagers are also said to have handed out cash and promised rewards such as AirPods if they met again.
“It appears very deliberate and resembles a textbook example of gang recruitment,” said Anna Schelin, while stressing that the exact intent cannot be confirmed.
Police have increased their presence in the area and are working with local authorities. One parent said he was “not surprised,” noting that such incidents are increasingly reported.
The case comes as Sweden moves to tighten its response to youth crime. The government is advancing plans to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13 for serious offences, arguing that gangs are recruiting ever younger children to carry out violent crimes.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer said the changes reflect a broader shift in criminal activity, with minors increasingly used in shootings and bombings because they fall below the threshold for prosecution.
