A street entertainer in Leicester Square recounted seeing the attacker place the girl in a headlock before stabbing her.
London police announced on Tuesday that a man has been charged with attempted murder following the stabbing of an 11-year-old girl in one of the city’s busiest tourist areas.
The Metropolitan Police (Met) said in a statement that 32-year-old Ioan Pintaru will appear in court later on Tuesday after the girl and her 34-year-old mother were stabbed.
The incident occurred in Leicester Square on Monday while the girl was with her mother. She was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries, though they are not considered life-threatening, AFP reported.
A security guard, who gave his name as Abdullah, 29, an employee at TWG Tea in Leicester Square, told the BBC he intervened to stop the attacker and, with assistance from his colleagues, administered first aid to the child.
WATCH: Security guard talks about the attack
The Met stated that they are “not looking for anyone else” in connection with the incident and do not believe the victims knew the attacker. At this stage, there is no indication that the stabbing was related to terrorism.
‘I’ve never witnessed anything like it’
Desmond, 45, shared with PA Media that the suspect, identified as a “young, white, skinny male wearing a black T-shirt and jeans,” seemed to target the girl specifically in the attack.
Desmond, a street performer in Leicester Square, witnessed the attacker stab the girl after putting her in a headlock.
“It was horrifying; I’ve never witnessed anything like it,” he said.
“I saw the woman screaming with all her might.”
Jessah described the event as “a horrific incident” and praised those who “courageously stepped in.”
“They risked their own safety and demonstrated the best of London in the process,” she added.
Attack comes two weeks after Southport mass stabbing
The attack occurred two weeks after a knife attack in Southport, England, that killed three girls and injured ten others.
The mass stabbing sparked riots across England after rumours spread online that the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker.
According to CCN, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) warned last month that violence against women and girls in England and Wales had reached “epidemic levels.”
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