The 11-year-old girl who was stabbed eight times in Leicester Square on Monday is an Australian tourist who was on holiday with her mother.
Ioan Pintaru, 32, was charged with attempted murder and possession of a bladed item after allegedly putting the child in a headlock and attacking her.
On Tuesday, a court heard that members of the public had restrained the Romanian citizen until police arrived and that he was allegedly found to be carrying a steak knife at the time of his arrest.
Westminster magistrates’ court was also told that the girl remained in hospital undergoing treatment and would require plastic surgery for wounds to her face, shoulder, wrist and neck.
On Tuesday morning, it was revealed that the victim and her mother were both from New South Wales, Australia.
An official told Australia’s 9News service: “The department of foreign affairs and trade is providing consular assistance to two Australians injured in London.”
The Telegraph earlier revealed that private security guards reached Mr Pintaru before police arrived. Two police officers were filmed handcuffing the man, moments after private security guards from a nearby shop had bundled him to the ground.
The two guards from My Local Bobby, named Youssouf and Darren, had been alerted to the attack by an emergency call from a shop in Leicester Square.
The pair raced to the scene a few yards away and found the suspect being grappled to the ground by members of the public.
Officer read rights
In a video shot by one of the guards, a male Metropolitan Police officer can be heard reading the man his rights and then ensuring the man is properly restrained before asking a colleague to use police tape to keep the crowd of onlookers away from the scene.
On Wednesday, the suspect’s mother told the Daily Mail she was “deeply sorry for what happened to that little girl”.
Speaking to the newspaper from her home in Romania, Magda Girla said: “I suffer together with her mother and I can’t describe the pain I’m in. I’m also a mother and I understand what she must be going through.”
Opening the case during a 10-minute hearing, David Burns, prosecuting, said: “This was an incident that took place yesterday at Leicester Square.
“The complainant and her daughter, an 11-year-old, who were tourists, were in the area.
“The defendant has approached the 11-year-old girl and placed her into a headlock. He has then stabbed her eight times to the body, where she sustained wounds to the face, shoulder, wrist and neck area.”
Mr Burns said police officers attending the incident found Pintaru, who required a Romanian interpreter throughout the hearing, “being held by members of the public”.
He added: “Fortunately, members of the public intervened, which prevented any further injury to the child.”
Addressing the condition of the young victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, he said: “In relation to the complainant, she was taken to hospital and currently resides in hospital where she is undergoing treatment.
“I understand she will require plastic surgery for the injuries that she’s sustained. Officers were called. They found the defendant being held by members of the public.”
Pintaru, who told the court he had no fixed abode but was father to a four-year-old child in Manchester, was remanded in custody.
Addressing the defendant, District Judge Michael Snow said: “These charges must be tried at Central Criminal Court. The next appearance will be there by way of video link, probably about 10am on Sept 10.”
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