A Romanian man who stabbed an 11-year-old Australian girl multiple times in a random attack in London's Leicester Square has been detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act. Ioan Pintaru, 33, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a knife after the incident on August 12 last year.
The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was attacked as she left a Lego store with her mother. Pintaru placed her in a headlock and stabbed her eight times in the face, neck, and chest. The mother told police she saw him 'furiously and repeatedly' stabbing her daughter, describing his arm moving 'like a jackhammer' with a 'crazed and vacant' expression.
At the Old Bailey on Tuesday, Judge Richard Marks KC imposed a hospital order under section 37 of the Mental Health Act and a restriction order under section 41, meaning Pintaru can be detained indefinitely. The judge noted the mother's victim impact statement, in which she said she 'relives the moment over and over' when she thought her daughter was being killed.
The court heard that Pintaru originally faced a charge of attempted murder, but the prosecution decided his psychosis at the time meant intent to kill could not be proven. He had previously been admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Romania. In assessments, Pintaru said he believed he was being followed and that the only way to save himself was to get sent to prison.
A security guard named only as Abdullah intervened during the attack, grabbing the knife and kicking it away. The judge commended Abdullah and ordered a £1,000 reward from public funds. The girl, now 13, has physically recovered but carries 'invisible scars,' the court heard.
