Turku attack suspect identified as Bouanane

The Turku regional court in Finland published on Monday the real name of the main suspect of the Turku stabbings. He has been identified as Abderrahman Bouanane.

The suspect previously gave the correct first name but gave the surname as Mechkah. The date of birth is October 25, 1994, instead of 1998 as he previously claimed. His nationality is Moroccan.

Bouanane's detention during the investigation was approved by the court in Turku last August 22.

The suspect has since been transferred to a prison hospital in Hameenlinna, some 150 km to the east.

Earlier, the Police said on Sunday the main suspect of the Turku stabbings is 23 years old, not 18 years old as he himself has claimed.

The police said the real identity of the suspect, actually born in 1994, was ascertained through international cooperation.

The police did not released his name, though. He has been using the name Abderrahman Mechkah since he was caught on the scene.

The young man allegedly killed two Finnish women and wounded eight others when he stabbed people with a huge knife in central Turku, western Finland on Aug. 18.

Police said that the interrogation with him has made some progress and he has talke, but did not give further details.

Identifying names and ages of the huge amount of asylum seekers has caused additional work for authorities in Finland.

If an asylum seeker is under 18. he or she is considered a minor. An unaccompanied minor has a better chance to be granted asylum than an adult. There are special reception centers for minors.

Finnish authorities have used anatomical and biochemical indicators to determine the real age. Some blatant cases of misrepresentation have been solved with those methods.