A 22-YEAR-OLD Afghan man has been remanded in custody in Sweden, after he was accused of stabbing seven people earlier in the week, the district court said.

The man was arrested after the attack on Wednesday afternoon in the quiet town of Vetlanda in the south of Sweden, home to some 13,000 people.

“He was remanded in custody, suspected of seven counts of attempted murder on 3 March in Vetlanda,” judge Anna Sjoman told AFP. 

She said the court determined he was at risk of fleeing, which could inhibit the investigation or increase the risk of further crimes.

The suspect was treated in hospital after being shot in the leg by police during the initial arrest, but appeared in court for the hearing today.

Prosecutors will need to decide on whether to press charges against the man by 19 March.

Police have said the suspect has an Afghan citizenship and that the case is being investigated as attempted murder, but they are also looking into whether the young suspect had a “potential terror motive”.

© AFP 2021