A security guard hailed as a hero for disarming a man who was repeatedly stabbing an 11-year-old girl in the face in central London has revealed he now considers the victim "like my younger sister".
Bravery in the Face of Terror
Abdullah Tanoli, then 30, was working at a shop in the bustling Leicester Square on 12 August last year when he heard screams that he instantly knew signalled real danger. "It was not normal screaming," Mr Tanoli told the BBC. "You know when a child is just crying, but when someone is being hurt, that scream is different."
Rushing outside at around 11.30am, he witnessed a horrific scene. Ioan Pintaru had randomly targeted the young Australian tourist, putting her in a headlock and stabbing her in the face and neck. The girl, who was with her mother after visiting the Lego store, later told police she believed she was going to die.
Tackling the Attacker and a Lifesaving Intervention
While others looked on, Mr Tanoli sprang into action without a second thought for his own safety. "At that moment, the only thing in my mind was to save the child," he said. He managed to grab Pintaru's hand, forcing the knife to the ground before kicking it away.
He then pinned the assailant to the pavement with the help of two other men, restraining him until police arrived roughly five minutes later. A passer-by who was a nurse provided crucial first aid to stem the girl's bleeding before paramedics reached the scene.
"Most people stayed back, and that is understandable – safety first – but if you know you can save someone, you should," the courageous guard stated.
Lasting Bonds and Invisible Scars
At the Old Bailey on Tuesday, Pintaru was sentenced to be indefinitely detained in a high-security mental hospital under the Mental Health Act. Judge Richard Marks KC commended Mr Tanoli's bravery and ordered a £1,000 reward to be paid to him from public funds.
Mr Tanoli, who has since been promoted to a management role, disclosed that the victim's mother contacted him on social media after the attack. She expressed the family's profound gratitude, stating he would always be part of their family. "I consider her like my younger sister," Mr Tanoli said of the girl, who cannot be named. "If you see her now, she looks normal. I am very relieved."
However, the court heard that while the child, now 13, has physically recovered, she bears deep psychological wounds. Prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe KC said, "The psychological effects of this incident will remain with (her) for the rest of her life."
Detective Constable Laura Nicoll, who led the Metropolitan Police investigation, praised the actions of both Mr Tanoli and the nurse: "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... Without them, she might not be alive today."
