A 16-year-old Swedish boy has been sentenced to eight years in prison in Copenhagen for attempted murder and weapons possession, a significantly harsher penalty than he likely would have received in Sweden. The sentencing highlights the difference in legal approaches between the two countries.

The case involves a disturbing trend that emerged last year in Denmark, where Swedish teenagers were recruited and paid to carry out killings. These individuals, sometimes referred to as “Swedish child soldiers” by Danish Minister of Justice Peter Hummelgaard, were armed with pistols and sent to Denmark to commit contract killings.

In this particular instance, the 16-year-old traveled from Helsingborg to Malmö and then across the Øresund Bridge. He was provided with a revolver, a scooter, and a photograph of his intended target: a member of the Loyal to Familia gang. He was promised 550,000 Swedish kroner for the assassination.

However, the teenager was unable to locate the gang member. Instead, he went to an address near Blågårds Plads in Nørrebro and fired a shot into the air, hoping to deceive his handlers into believing he had completed the task. He was apprehended by authorities shortly after the incident.