A 17-year-old boy has been charged in the stabbing deaths Monday of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class that sparked anti-immigrant unrest throughout Britain.
The Merseyside Police said the teen has been charged in the deaths of Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, in the seaside town of Southport.
Eight other children and two adults were wounded in the Monday attack.
The suspect was named in court on Thursday in a rare move due to his age. Judge Andrew Menary said his decision to allow Axel Rudakubana to be publicly identified was to counter misinformation about his identitiy that have led to violent protests across the country, the Associated Press reported.
He also faces 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article, the police said.
Rudakubana kept his face hidden in his sweatshirt during the hearing, refused to speak and would not confirm his name, the Guardian reported.
Rudakubana, who will turn 18 next Wednesday, was born in Cardiff and living in Banks, near Southport, with his Rwandan parents, the Express reported.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 25.
The mass stabbing has been used by far-right activists to stoke violent ani-immigrant protests that have left more than 50 police officers injured and 100 people arrested.
