A young girl brutally attacked by a knife-wielding maniac in the middle of bustling London Monday was a tourist visiting with her family from Australia, according to reports.
The girl — just 11 years old — was randomly grabbed by the alleged madman, Ioan Pintaru, as she walked with her 34-year-old mother through London’s tourist hotspot, Leicester Square, in broad daylight at around 11:30 a.m.
After snatching the girl, Pintaru, 32, allegedly throttled her in a headlock and began plunging a steak knife into her body — stabbing her eight times before a nearby store’s security guard tackled him to the ground and wrenched the bloodied blade from his hands.
The girl was rushed to the hospital with wounds to her neck, wrists, shoulders, and face, which required plastic surgery, according to the BBC.
She has since been discharged and is expected to recover.
Pintaru, a Romanian national, was arrested and has been charged with attempted murder.
Investigators have not yet determined a motivation for the random attack. It is not believed to have been terror-related.
The stabbing is also not believed to be linked to a spate of violence that has plagued London in recent weeks following the fatal stabbing of three young girls who were killed in a Taylor Swift-themed dance class near Liverpool in July.
Chaotic riots were sparked by that incident, fueled by false rumors that the killer was a teenage Muslim migrant. A motive in that attack also remains unclear.
Leicester Square sees about 2.5 million people pass through weekly, many of whom are tourists.
Pinartu, who officials say has no address, remains in custody. He is due in court again on September 10.
