The man, who was only 17 years old when the crimes were committed, surprisingly admits to three murders of girls aged six to nine years, ten attempted murders, and other charges in court on Monday.
He is charged with 16 counts of stabbing girls at a dance event with Taylor Swift music in the small English town on July 29 last year.
The discovery of an instruction book from the al-Qaida terrorist network among his belongings means that terrorist crimes are also included in the charges. However, the act itself is not classified as a terrorist crime, precisely because he has not said a word about the motive behind the heinous act.
Has been silent
Not even when he was supposed to confirm his name in a preliminary court hearing on December 18 did he open his mouth. The court has therefore, according to British media, classified him as "mute of malice" – a legal term that can be translated to approximately "maliciously silent".
The 18-year-old has an immigrant background but was born in Wales. His bloody act was followed by large-scale violence when false information spread that he was a newly arrived boat refugee.
Riots after the act
In early August, right-wing extremists spread all sorts of rumors on social media, and the result was that mobs attacked mosques and other targets associated with immigrants in several British cities. Many were injured in clashes with police.
The violence led to over 1,200 arrests, and many rioters have already been sentenced to prison for up to nine years.
The trial against the 18-year-old is expected to last for about a month in Liverpool, a few miles south of Southport. According to a judge, the man risks a life sentence.
