London stabbing: Australian girl, 11, victim of UK knife attack, DFAT confirm
The young girl stabbed eight times in broad daylight in London’s Leicester Square this week is an Australian, it has been revealed.
A Romanian national of no fixed address, Ioan Pintaru is charged with attempted murder after he allegedly placed an 11-year-old girl in a headlock and stabbed her, wounding her face, shoulder, wrist and neck.
The girl was taken to hospital and will survive the attack but requires plastic surgery.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.She was with her 34-year-old mother when she was attacked on Monday in one of London’s busiest tourist attractions at around 1130 in the morning.
It has now emerged that the mother and her daughter were Australian tourists.
DFAT said it was offering assistance but did not specify what that involved.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to two Australians injured in London,” a spokeswoman said.
“Owing to our privacy obligations we cannot provide further comment.”
Pintaru, aged 32, is also charged with possession of a bladed article in a public place.
During a brief court hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday, prosecutors alleged that the weapon he used to attack the young girl was a steak knife.
“Fortunately members of the public intervened, which prevented any further injury to the child,” prosecutor David Burns told the court.
Abdullah, a security guard who works at the TWG Tea Shop has been hailed as a hero in the British press for stopping the attacker.
“I heard a scream,” Abdullah said.
“I just saw a kid that was getting stabbed and I just tried to save her.
“I saw that he was stabbing a kid, I jumped on him, hold the hand which wasn’t carrying the knife and just put him down on the floor and just hold him and just kicked the knife away from him,” he said.
“And then a couple of more people joined and we just hold him until the police came.”
Pintaru will next face court on September 10. He was remanded in custody.
His motive is not said to be terror-related and he did not know the woman or child who the ABC reported were from New South Wales.
With agencies
Originally published on The Nightly
