A Romanian man has been accused of attempted murder after an 11-year-old girl was stabbed on Monday in Leicester Square in London.
According to the BBC, 32-year-old Ioan Pintaru, who is homeless, has also been charged with possession of a sharp object.
UPDATE: The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) confirmed that the person detained by the British authorities in connection with the incident in Leicester Square is a Romanian citizen, and the General Consulate of Romania in London will follow the specific procedures in such cases. Additionally, the institution mentioned that no other requests related to this case have been received.
Initially, it was believed that the girl's mother was also injured, but it was later confirmed that she had her daughter's blood on her body. The girl was taken to the hospital with serious injuries that are not life-threatening, stated the Metropolitan Police.
Ioan Pintaru has been placed in custody and is scheduled to be heard at the Westminster Magistrates' Court.
Investigators are currently working to determine the cause of the attack and have urged anyone who witnessed what happened or has any information to contact the police.
However, the police stated on Monday that there is no suggestion that the incident is related to terrorism, and the victims and the attacker did not appear to know each other.
Police were called to Leicester Square, a tourist area in central London, on Monday at 11:30 local time.
Leicester Square and the surrounding area attract approximately 2.5 million visitors each week and host shops, theaters, cinemas, and restaurants.
The stabbing took place near the TWG tea shop. A security guard from the shop said he intervened to help the girl when she was attacked.
He mentioned that he and his colleagues provided first aid to the child before the police arrived four minutes after the attack, as reported by SkyNews.
Police paid tribute to the individuals "who intervened courageously in this incident," stating: "They put themselves in danger and showed the best of London by doing so."