The final moments of nine-year-old Lilia Valutyte’s life were captured on CCTV, showing her joyfully with her sister just minutes before a devastating attack that would shatter a family and a community.
Footage revealed the frantic aftermath, with police and paramedics rushing to the scene, their sirens cutting through the quiet of the street. The images stand as a stark reminder of the innocence lost on that day.
Lilia’s mother, Lina Savickiene, held her daughter close in the moments following the attack, a scene of unimaginable grief and despair. The pain of that moment would forever be etched in her memory.
Lilia had been simply playing outside with her younger sibling, enjoying the freedom and carefree spirit of childhood. That simple act of play was tragically interrupted, forever altering the course of their lives.
In a heartbreaking victim impact statement, delivered through her husband Aurelijus Savickas, Lina Savickiene spoke of a life fully lived in just nine years – a life filled with travel and cherished memories. She described a void that could never be filled.
“This is not something you recover from,” she stated, her words echoing the profound and lasting trauma. The unanswered questions – “Why her? Why us?” – haunted her thoughts, particularly during the trial.
Aurelijus Savickas, Lilia’s stepfather since she was three, spoke of their journey together, a bond forged through love and shared experiences. He cherished the role he played in her life, loving her as his own.
“Lilia, you will always live in our hearts, you are forever loved, forever missed,” he declared, a testament to the enduring power of a parent’s love. His words were a poignant farewell to a daughter lost too soon.
The trial revealed a disturbing picture of the perpetrator, Deividas Skebas, described by his defense barrister as “quite obviously deluded.” Clinicians doubted he would ever recover from his mental state.
Following the horrific act, Skebas claimed he possessed “the power to resurrect” Lilia, contingent on police contacting “his controller in Nasa.” This delusion underscored the profound disconnect from reality that fueled his actions.
Skebas was later transferred to Rampton Hospital in December 2022, a specialized facility for individuals with severe mental health conditions. He is now awaiting sentencing, scheduled for February 25th.
Before the tragedy, Skebas’s life unfolded across continents, growing up in Lithuania, working with his father in Norway, and eventually arriving in the UK to find employment in a factory. The path that led him to this point remains a haunting question.
