A man has been locked up for at least 25 years after stabbing a nine-year-old girl in the heart as she played outside her mother’s embroidery shop.
Shocking Attack in Boston, Lincolnshire
Deividas Skebas, 26, plunged a knife into little Lilia Valutyte while she was playing with a hula hoop on 28 July 2022. The horrifying attack happened just outside Lilia’s mum’s shop in Boston, Lincolnshire.
Lilia’s mum, Lina Savickiene, made a terrifying discovery. She found her daughter “covered in blood and with the hoop around her”. At first, Lina thought it was a harmless accident with the toy. She shouted for help while trying to stem the bleeding as Lilia grew pale.
Off-Duty Officer Tried to Save Girl’s Life
An off-duty police officer rushed to help, but sadly, their efforts couldn’t save Lilia. The brave youngster died from her injuries.
Killer’s Mental Health and Trial Drama
Skebas, originally from Lithuania, moved back to the UK just weeks before the attack. He suffers from schizophrenia and initially denied murder, pleading guilty only to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility.
He was first declared mentally unfit to stand trial in 2023. However, his condition was reassessed in spring 2025, allowing the trial to proceed at Lincoln Crown Court earlier this year.
Jurors were clear Skebas killed Lilia but had to decide his mental state during the attack. Prosecutors argued he knew exactly what he was doing and even tried to evade capture.
Lilia would have turned 13 this year.
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