A man has been charged after an 11-year-girl was stabbed in London’s Leicester Square.
Ioan Pintaru, 32, of no fixed address, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London later on today charged with attempted murder and possession of a blade.
The 11-year-old was taken to hospital after the stabbing where her injuries were said to be non life-threatening.
The child’s mother, 34, who was with her at the time of the attack, was initially believed to have also been hurt.
However the Metropolitan Police said the bleeding on her body was later confirmed to be blood from her daughter’s injuries.
The stabbing took place at the TWG tea shop in the heart of Leicester Square, in what police believe is a random attack and was not believed to be terror-related.
The tea shop brands itself as a ‘high quality’ tea company with ‘luxury’ tea and accessories.
Leicester Square and the surrounding area attracts an estimated 2.5 million visitors every week and is home to shops, theatres, cinemas and restaurants.
A security guard who works at the shop was branded a hero by his colleagues after he stepped in to protect the girl during the attack.
The tea shop worker, called Abdullah, said he rushed to save the youngster after hearing screams during his shift.
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.’
A police spokesman added: ‘Police were called to Leicester Square at 11:34hrs on Monday, 12 August following reports of a stabbing.
‘An 11-year-old girl was found with stab wounds. She was taken to hospital where her injuries, while serious, were assessed as non-life threatening.
‘It was initially believed that the girl’s mother, a 34-year-old woman, was also hurt however it was later confirmed that blood from her daughter’s injuries had been mistaken for injuries of her own.’
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