A schizophrenic man who repeatedly stabbed an 11 year old girl in a random horror attack at a packed tourist hotspot has been sent to a high security mental hospital.
Romanian national Ioan Pintaru, 33, attacked the Australian child, who is now 13, as she visited Leicester Square, London, with her mother in August 2024.
Shocking footage showed Pintaru being tackled and disarmed by brave bystanders after the stabbing, before police arrived and detained him.
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In October, Pintaru admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possession of a knife.
He has now been sentenced to indefinite detention in a high security mental hospital by a judge at the Old Bailey, as reported by Need To Know.
The court imposed a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act, along with a restriction order under Section 41, meaning Pintaru can be detained indefinitely.
He had previously denied attempted murder, but prosecutors chose not to pursue a trial after medical evidence showed his psychosis at the time of the attack meant intent to kill could not be proven.
After the hearing, Metropolitan Police Detective Constable Laura Nicoll, who led the investigation, said: “The girl was leaving the Lego Store in Leicester Square with her mum after buying presents for her family, while visiting the city on holiday.
“This innocent scene was shattered when Ioan-Alexandru Pintaru violently stabbed her with a knife.
“It was a savage and brutal attack that left the city in shock.
“But following the most appalling scene, we also saw the best of London.
“A security guard who raced from his post without a thought for his own safety, and an off duty nurse who tended to the little girl’s wounds.
“Without them she might not be alive today.
“The guard was commended by the court and we would like to add to that our sincere admiration for his selfless act.
“This happened in the very heart of London, an area which is currently packed with tourists visiting over Christmas.
“We continue to work tirelessly to prevent further violence on our streets.”
Heroic security guard Abdullah, 30, also spoke about his actions.
He said: “It was a purely selfless and instinctive response, driven by a sense of responsibility to help someone in danger.
“I’m grateful that this was acknowledged and that the child is safe.”
Brandishing a knife, Pintaru grabbed the girl in a headlock and stabbed her repeatedly, leaving her with serious injuries to her eye, neck, chest and shoulder.
She was rushed to hospital for treatment.
In a witness statement read to the court, the girl’s mother said Pintaru attacked her daughter “like a jackhammer, repeatedly stabbing”.
She added that he “was wide eyed and manic like nothing was going to stop him”.
The attack was captured on CCTV, which police used to secure charges against Pintaru.
Abdullah heard the girl’s screams and ran from the doorway of the teashop where he was working, risking his own life as he tried to save hers.
He bravely grabbed Pintaru’s arm, disarmed him and kicked the knife out of reach.
With the help of two other men, he detained the attacker until police arrived.
The injured girl was taken into a nearby shop, where a passing nurse gave her first aid.
Police were at the scene within four minutes.
Pintaru was arrested at the scene and later charged with attempted murder and possession of a bladed article.
He was later diagnosed with schizophrenia and claimed he believed people were trying to kill him, but said he did not intend to harm anyone.
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