A man has been charged with attempted murder after an 11-year-old girl was stabbed in the centre of London’s tourist district.
Ioan Pintaru, 32, of no fixed address, has also been charged with possession of a bladed article and was remanded in custody to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday morning.
Police were called to reports of a stabbing in Leicester Square at 11: 34 a.m. on Monday morning.
It was initially reported that the girl’s 34-year-old mother had also been harmed, but blood from her daughter’s wounds were mistaken for injuries of her own, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
The girl was taken to hospital with serious injuries that are not life-threatening, the force said.
Police do not believe the victim and the suspect were known to each other, the statement added, and the attack is not being treated as terror-related.
Leicester Square and the surrounding area attract an estimated 2.5 million visitors every week and form part of London’s theatre district, with tourists flocking to its many shops, bars and restaurants.
The stabbing happened near the TWG Tea shop, next to the Lego store and in front of the M&M’s London sweet store.
A shop security guard intervened to help the girl as she was being attacked.
Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah said: “This is a horrific incident and our thoughts are with the victims and their family. We will continue to provide support to them over the coming days and weeks. I would like to pay tribute to the members of the public, including staff from local businesses, who bravely intervened in this incident. They put themselves at risk and showed the best of London in doing so.”
