Home / Crime and Justice / Child Stabbed in Leicester Square Attack
Child Stabbed in Leicester Square Attack
16 Dec
Summary
- An 11-year-old girl was stabbed eight times in a random attack.
- The attacker, Ioan Pintaru, was detained indefinitely under mental health orders.
- A security guard bravely intervened and was awarded £1,000 for his actions.
A random knife attack in London's Leicester Square has resulted in the indefinite detention of the perpetrator, Ioan Pintaru, 33. The victim, an 11-year-old Australian girl, was visiting the city with her mother when Pintaru attacked her outside the Lego store, stabbing her eight times in the face, neck, and chest. The girl recounted believing she would die during the assault, which occurred on August 12 last year.
Pintaru pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a knife. He was sentenced at the Old Bailey to a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act and a restriction order under Section 41, allowing for indefinite detention. The judge emphasized the profound lifelong trauma inflicted on the victim and her mother, who witnessed the horrifying event.
Brave intervention by a security guard named Abdullah, who managed to disarm Pintaru and hold him until police arrived, was commended. The court ordered Abdullah to receive a £1,000 reward for his heroism. While the girl has physically recovered, the psychological impact of the attack continues to affect her.
