The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has confirmed an 11-year-old Australian girl from New South Wales was the victim of a random stabbing attack in London.
The young tourist was grabbed and stabbed eight times after a man approached her and her mother in Leicester Square on Aug. 12.
The girl sustained serious injuries and authorities initially believed her mother, 34, had also been stabbed due to the amount of her daughter’s blood on her body.
Following the attack, police arrested 32-year-old Romanian national, Ioan Pintaru.
A spokesperson for DFAT told The Epoch Times that the department was assisting the two Australians.
“Owing to our privacy obligations we cannot provide further comment, we would however ask that the privacy of the family is respected at this difficult time,” they said.
Consular assistance may include liaising with local hospitals authorities, providing lists of medical providers, and assisting with communication between the victims and their family members or nominated contacts.
The incident was detailed during a hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court, where Prosecutor David Burns described how the pair were sightseeing when the alleged offender approached.
“The defendant has approached the 11-year-old girl, placed her into a headlock and he has then stabbed her eight times to the body,” Prosecutor Burns told the court.
She was wounded in the face, shoulder, wrist, and neck before members of the public intervened and pinned the alleged attacker down on the ground.
UK police said there was no suggestion the attack was terror-related.
Pintaru remains in custody and did not enter any pleas. He has been charged with attempted murder and is scheduled to appear at the Old Bailey on Sept. 10.
This attack came after another stabbing incident on July 29 in the English city of Southport, where three young girls—Alice Desila Aguiar, Bebe King, and Elise Dot Stancombe—were killed at a dance event.
Suspect Axel Muganwa Rudakubana was arrested and charged with murder.
The murder of the three girls sparked widespread anti-migration riots and protests.
“Avoid areas where protests are occurring due to the potential for disruption and violence,” the advisory warns.
“Monitor the media for information and updates. Follow the instructions of local authorities.”
