An 11-year-old girl from Australia, who was on vacation with her family, was stabbed in Leicester Square, London.
The attack happened earlier this week when a man, 32-year-old Ioan Pintaru, allegedly grabbed the girl in a headlock and stabbed her eight times in the stomach. She also suffered injuries to her face, shoulder, wrist, and neck.
The girl, who is from New South Wales, is now in the hospital and needs plastic surgery for her injuries.
The incident took place on Monday around 11:34 AM while she was with her 34-year-old mother at the popular tourist spot.
The attacker was stopped by members of the public and was later arrested by the police.
Pintaru, who has no fixed address, appeared in Westminster Magistrates’ Court facing charges of attempted murder and possession of a knife.
A prosecutor, David Burns, explained that the quick actions of bystanders likely prevented further harm to the girl.
He also mentioned that the police found Pintaru still being held by members of the public when they arrived.
The Australian government is providing counseling to the girl’s family following the traumatic event. Police have stated that the incident is not believed to be related to terrorism.
One of the bystanders, a 29-year-old security guard named Abdullah, bravely intervened to stop the attack. He said, “The moment I saw it I just jumped on that guy and grabbed his hand… and put him down on the floor and kicked the knife away from him.”
The attack occurred near the TWG Tea shop, close to the Lego store and M&Ms store in Leicester Square.
