The head of the Swedish police has sparked outrage by expressing sympathy with the teenage asylum seeker accused of murdering social worker Alexander Mezher.

National Police Commissioner Dan Eliasson, who has already admitted police cannot cope with the wave of migrant crime, said he has concerns about the ‘horrors’ and trauma the accused murderer may have witnessed.

He said he was ‘distraught’ on behalf of Miss Mezher’s family but also for the killer, saying: ‘What has that person been through? Under what circumstances has he grown up? What is the trauma he carries?’

It came as court documents showed the boy suspected of the killing is being held in a secure psychiatric that specialises in patients with psychotic illness, drug and alcohol addiction.

Scroll down for video

Controversy: Dan Eliasson, left, said that although he is 'distraught' on behalf of Alexandra Mezher and her family, he also has sympathy at the horrors the 15-year-old Somalian boy may have been through

In an with SVT Mr Eliasson said: 'Well, you are of course distraught on behalf of everyone involved.

'Naturally, for the person killed and her family, but also for a lone young boy who commits such a heinous incident.

'What has that person been through? Under what circumstances has he grown up? What is the trauma he carries?

'This entire migration crisis shows how unfair life is in many parts of the world. We have to try to help solve this best we can.'

MailOnline has contacted Mr Eliasson for further explanation of his comments, but a spokesman would not reveal where he is.

His comments sparked angry reactions across social media, with some saying the police chief made them ‘want to vomit’.

Jenny Sundelin wrote on Twitter: ‘I vomit when I see you. You are supposed to be the person most responsible for our safety and you defend those who murder us’

Billy TheBritt added: ‘Does the nerd @dan_eliasson feel sorry for Breivik too? What about the Trollhattan killer? Does Dan’s heart bleed for him too?’

Kent Ekeroth, a member of parliament for the anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats tweeted: ‘This is where Dan Eliasson feels sorry for the guy who knifemurdered the woman at the asylum home - resign!'

Eliasson is not the first senior political figure in Sweden to demand compassion for the 15-year-old boy being held on suspicion of murder.

Marie Osth Karlsson, a senior local government commissioner, said: 'I also have to express sympathy for the man behind the crime, there is also a person behind it'

Both Eliasson and Osth Karlsson belong to the ruling Social Democrat party, which has been criticised in the past year for its handling of the migrant crisis.

Anger: Mr Eliasson's sympathy for Miss Mezher's alleged killer sparked outraged from those on social media

Tragedy: Alexandra Mezher, pictured right with her best friend Lejla Filipovic at their high school graduation in 2012, died after being stabbed at her place of work - a care home for unaccompanied child refugees

Inspirational: Dedicated Miss Mezher, who was planning on going back to university to do a masters, had been working with refugee children at the centre (pictured) since last autumn

Unknown: Court documents filed in Gothenburg today show that police do not know the true identity of the alleged killer, who has claimed he is a 15-year-old from Somalia

His comments follow the release of court documents which show murder detectives do not know the true identity of the Somali boy who allegedly stabbed to death Miss Mezher.

Reports suggested the boy was 15 and living in a child migrant centre in Molndal where Miss Mezher worked.

But next to the suspect's name are the words 'ID ej styrkt', meaning 'ID not proven'.

It means the boy had nothing to prove his identity when he arrived in Sweden – and that he could be 18 or even older.

A police spokesman in Gothenburg yesterday told MailOnline: 'We are not 100% sure about the boys identity. But we do have a good picture and will find that out eventually.

'This is usually the case with unaccompanied refugee children. It is hard to establish if their identity is true or not.'

The boy has been charged with murder and attempted murder.

He is being held at the high security psychiatric clinic at Sahlgrenska University Hospital is run by the Swedish NHS called Landstinget.

The prosecutor said there are 'exceptional grounds' to detain the suspect as he will attempt to destroy evidence and flee the country.

Murdered: Miss Mezher (right) was stabbed in the back and thigh while working a night shift alone at the centre for migrant children in Molndal, Gothenburg, A Somali boy, 15, is being held at a psychiatric unit

Full of life: Miss Mezher (pictured second from left) had only worked at the child migrant centre since the autumn. She was stabbed to death on Monday at 8am

Search: Detectives were at the migrant centre which houses children aged 14-17 searching for clues. Police today praised two hero teenagers who held the knifeman down until they arrived

Tribute: Alexandra's mother wept bitterly as she remembered her 'angel' daughter at memorial service today

Controversial police chief Eliasson, 54, has held several senior positions within the Swedish justice system.

After completing a law degree, and studying European Integration in Amsterdam, he went on to work on for the Swedish government both in the Foreign office and the Justice department.

He has since served in a number of positions, including acting head of the Swedish Security Service and the Ministry of Justice Chief of International Affairs.

A former lawyer, he was Director-General of the Swedish Migration Agency, from which he resigned in 2011, just before the migration crisis started.

He became the Director-General of the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, the government agency for welfare benefits.

However, long before he embarked on a career in law and politics, he was a passionate musician.

In the late 1970s he was in a punk group called 'Bad Boo Band', who sang 'Knulla i Bankok' (F*** in Bankok), criticising Thailand's sex tourism.

Earlier this week, Eliasson demanded 4,100 more police officers as Sweden struggles to cope with the new wave of migrant related crime.

He said: 'We are forced to respond to many disturbances in asylum reception centres. In some places, this takes significant police resources.

'This was not the case six months ago and it means that we won't be able to respond as effectively in other areas.'

Miss Mezher's friends and family gathered at a memorial service today in her hometown of Boras, 40 miles east of Gothenburg.

The psychology graduate, whose parents fled Beirut more than 25 years ago, was stabbed in the back and thigh on Monday in a block of flats housing ten youths aged 14 to 17.

Her mother wept bitterly as she remembered her 'angel' daughter.

Dressed entirely in black, Chiméne Mezher, 42, repeatedly broke down as she told mourners of her 'utter devastation'.

A hundred friends and family came together in grief at a local church and cried for Alexandra.

They hugged each other as they gathered around a table with candles and a single framed photograph‎ showing Alexandra wearing a mortarboard hat on her graduation day - the proudest moment of her mother's life.

Grief-stricken friends brought pink and white roses, Alexandra's favourite flowers.

Hard working: Psychology graduate Miss Mezher who was a Lebanese Christian whose parents were from Beirut, was today described by her mother Chiméne as an 'angel'

Poignant: Miss Mezher, a Lebanese Christian, had posted a number 'inspirational quotes' on Facebook confirming her faith

Questioning: A boy, 15, living at the centre, from Somalia, is being questioned by detectives on suspicion of murder. Police have cordoned off the centre as forensics investigate

‎The service at Korskyrkan‎ church in Boras, was organised by Alexandra's best friend Lejla Filipovic, 22, who said: 'Everyone is in such shock.

'The grief is still very raw. This is just a small service for family and close friends.

'‎We would like people to see the photo of Alexandra and the flowers, but we do not want there to be photos of her mother and the people crying.'

Yesterday, Mrs Mezher, said: 'We left Lebanon to escape the civil war, the violence and the danger. We came to Sweden where it was safe, to start our family. But it is not safe any more.

SWEDISH LEGAL PROCESS: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT The prosecutor needs to file an application to the district court within 48 hours after a criminal has been arrested. The application is an appeal to the court to hear whether there are legal grounds to keep the criminal in custody. In this case the boy was arrested early on Monday morning, but the system works slowly so he was not formally arrested until Monday night. This document is a public document with the indicted persons name attached to it. The only reason a prosecutor can use to make this document secret is if the crime involves matters of National Security or Terrorism. There has been a few exceptions over the years when the district court has kept the criminals name a secret. Those cases are usually when there has been a police officer working under cover involved. It is for the indicted persons own security. After the prosecutor has send this application he or she will appear in court with the indicted person who also has a lawyer who speaks ion his behalf. A judge will then rule if the criminal is to remain in custody or be released. These hearings usually take around five minutes and are open for members of the public and pres to watch. Advertisement

'And I just want to know why… why Alexandra? She wanted to help them, but they did this. I just want answers.'

Her husband Bourous, 45, moved to Sweden from Beirut in 1989 and built up a pizza business. Mrs Mezher, who has three sons, said: 'She was not just my daughter, she was my angel. She was a just and fair human being. There were so many who loved her. She was my daughter, my friend.'

She blamed Swedish politicians for a dramatic rise in immigration in Molndal, a suburb of Gothenburg, where a population of 60,000 has grown by 8,000 migrants in less than a year – 4,000 of whom are unaccompanied children.

Officers in Molndal say they have had to ignore lesser offences such as drug-dealing because they are so overrun by migrant crime, with gang fights and violent assaults.

And in capital Stockholm police this week warned that the capital's main train station was 'overrun' by gangs of Moroccan street children 'stealing and groping girls'.

Swedish police revealed they have sent plain-clothes officers to monitor swimming baths in Stockholm after increased reports of sexual harassment of girls and women.

Last night it was also claimed police had been forced to flee after being attacked by a mob of asylum seekers as they tried to relocate a ten-year-old boy amid allegations he had been 'raped repeatedly' at a refugee centre.

Miss Mezher had been working at the housing block since September.

Despite rules that staff should work in pairs, she had reportedly worked alone overnight and was attacked half an hour before her shift was due to end.

'Two boys held him down. It is a very good intervention. Had he intended to hurt anyone else, then they have prevented that,' said police spokesperson Peter Adlersson.

'It is easy to become injured yourself when intervening in this kind of situation. We are very grateful for these kinds of actions.'

Police said Tuesday afternoon the forensic investigation of the scene of the crime is not yet completed, and that there are still question marks regarding the reason behind the attack.

Seven witnesses, all residents at the housing, have been moved to another accommodation and have all been interviewed by police.

Today, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven admitted that many people are fearful of attacks similar to the killing of Miss Mezher, because 'Sweden receives so many children and youths arriving alone'.

Scene: Molndal, on Sweden's west coast, where the migrant centre is, has been the scene of rising tension in recent months. Neighbourhood-watch groups have been sent out to prevent teenage girls from being sexually harassed on their way home from the commuter trains from Gothenburg

Centre: Miss Mezher, whose family are originally from Lebanon, had only worked at the accommodation for unaccompanied refugee children for a few months