Swiss parliamentarians want to toughen law for juvenile crimes

The Swiss House of Representatives wants to toughen Switzerland's juvenile criminal law. In future, it should be possible to impose suspended sentences on young offenders for serious crimes, and uncooperative offenders could be imprisoned, a majority of parliamentarians decided on Monday. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox On Monday, the House of Representatives adopted a motion on this issue by 95 votes in favour, 94 against, three abstentions and a casting vote by President Maja Riniker. Nina Fehr Düsel of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, who filed the motion, wants young offenders to be judged according to adult criminal law for particularly serious offences. Under her proposal, the maximum period of imprisonment from the age of 16 should be increased from four to six years and from one to two years for 15-year-olds. Federal government should ask for the corresponding amendments to be made to Swiss law, she says. Düsel says a growing number of young ...