By Riley Walter
An 11-year-old girl stabbed in London’s bustling theatre district on Monday was Australian, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed.
The girl is understood to be from NSW, the ABC reported on Wednesday night.
An 11-year-old Australian girl was the victim of an alleged stabbing in London’s Leicester Square.Credit: AP
The alleged attack happened about 11.30am (8.30pm AEST) on Monday outside a shop that sells tea in Leicester Square, a tourism hotspot.
In a statement, a department spokeswoman said consular assistance was being provided to two Australians injured in London. No other comments were provided due to privacy obligations.
Ioan Pintaru, charged with attempted murder, appeared in a London court on Tuesday.
Pintaru, 32, put the girl in a headlock and stabbed her eight times, seriously wounding her, prosecutors allege.
The attack happened in London’s busy theatre district.Credit: AP
The girl was hospitalised and required plastic surgery for wounds to her face, shoulder, wrist and neck area, prosecutor David Burns told the court.
Authorities haven’t offered a motive for the attack, but police said that there was no suggestion the alleged stabbing was terrorism-related and they do not believe the suspect knew the girl or her mother.
Ioan Pintaru, who was arrested after allegedly stabbing an 11-year-old Australian girl in London’s Leicester Square, was charged has been attempted murder.Credit: Facebook
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 allegedly recovered.
“Fortunately, members of the public intervened, which prevented any further injury being made to the child,” Burns said.
It was initially believed the girl’s mother, 34, was also hurt, but police said blood from her daughter’s injuries had been mistaken for injuries of her own.
Pintaru, a Romanian citizen, who also faces a knife charge, was held in custody. He was ordered to appear on September 10 at London’s Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey.
The alleged stabbing came as England remained on edge following recent race-related violence across the country that has led to dozens of arrests.
The disturbances were fuelled by far-right activists, who used social media to spread misinformation about a mass stabbing in which three girls were killed during a Taylor Swift-themed dance event.
However, there is no indication the alleged Leicester Square attack was related to the wider violence.
With AP, AAP
Get a note direct from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here.