Man charged with attempted murder in stabbing of 11-year-old girl in a London tourism hot spot
![A Police officer stands at the scene in Leicester Square,...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AZjI2NzZkODItMWY1Yy00%3AODItMWY1Yy00ZWQ1NGZh%2Fbritain-stabbing.jpeg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D770%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
A Police officer stands at the scene in Leicester Square, as a man was arrested with the accusation of stabbing an 11-year-old girl and 34-year-old woman, in London, Monday Aug. 12, 2024. Credit: AP/James Manning
LONDON — A man accused of stabbing an 11-year-old girl in London’s bustling theater district was charged Tuesday with attempted murder.
Ioan Pintaru put the girl in a headlock and stabbed her eight times, seriously wounding her, prosecutors said.
The girl was hospitalized and required surgery for wounds to her face, shoulder, wrist and neck area, prosecutor David Burns said.
Authorities haven't offered a motive for the attack, but police said there was no suggestion the stabbing was terror-related and they don’t believe the suspect knew the mother or daughter.
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The attack happened around 11:30 a.m. Monday in Leicester Square, a tourism hot spot, outside a shop selling tea.
An employee of the tea shop and other bystanders jumped on the suspect and held him to the ground until police arrived. A steak knife was recovered.
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Blood is seen on the pavement as a man has been arrested after an 11-year-old girl and 34-year-old woman were stabbed in Leicester Square, in London, Monday Aug. 12, 2024. Credit: AP/James Manning
“Fortunately members of the public intervened, which prevented any further injury being made to the child," Burns said.
The girl’s mother wasn't wounded, though she initially appeared to be because she was covered in her daughter’s blood, police said.
Pintaru, 32, a Romanian citizen, who also faces a knife charge, was held in custody. He was ordered to appear on Sept. 10 at the Central Criminal Court known as the Old Bailey.
The stabbing occurred during a recent rise in knife crime in Britain, which is on edge after days of violence as crowds spouting anti-immigrant and Islamophobic slogans clashed with police in dozens of cities and towns.
![Police cordon off an area in Leicester Square, as a...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AOTM4N2MyYzItMDJiNC00%3AYzItMDJiNC00Yzg2M2M0%2Fbritain-stabbing.jpeg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Police cordon off an area in Leicester Square, as a man was arrested with the accusation of stabbing an 11-year-old girl and 34-year-old woman, in London, Monday Aug. 12, 2024. Credit: AP/James Manning
The disturbances were fueled by far-right activists, who used social media to spread misinformation about a mass stabbing that killed three girls during a Taylor Swift-themed dance event.
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