Leicester Square attack: Mother of Romanian suspect accused of stabbing girl says she is “deeply sorry” for what happened

Sign up for our breaking news emails to get free, real-time breaking news straight to your inbox.

Sign up for our free emails with breaking news

The mother of a Romanian suspect accused of stabbing and repeatedly stabbing an 11-year-old girl in London's Leicester Square has said she is “deeply sorry” for what happened to the young victim.

32-year-old Ioan Pintaru allegedly carried out the random attack in front of the LEGO store, attacking the young Australian tourist with a steak knife while her mother screamed for help.

In conversation with the MailOnline From Pintaru's hometown of Pucioasa, about 65 miles from Bucharest, Magda Girla said: “Please send this message to everyone. I am deeply sorry for what happened to this little girl.

“I feel for her mother and cannot describe my pain. I am also a mother and I understand what she is going through.”

She added that her son, whom she last spoke to on Monday morning before the attack, worked as a long-distance truck driver and had moved to England about six years ago.

After being injured in a road accident, he was forced to look for a new employer. The court concluded that he was homeless at the time of the accident.

Appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court this week, prosecutor David Burns said the 34-year-old woman and her daughter were tourists in Leicester Square when a man “approached the girl, put her in a headlock and then stabbed her eight times in the body”.

She suffered injuries to her face, shoulder, wrist and neck and required plastic surgery.

It was initially believed that the girl's mother was also injured, but the blood from her daughter's injuries was mistaken for her own injuries, the Metropolitan Police said.

Officials said there was no evidence that the incident was terror-related or that the victim and suspect knew each other.

A security guard named Abdullah was later praised for his bravery after he “jumped” on the suspect, disarmed him and held him until rescue workers arrived.

Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah said: “This is a horrific incident and our thoughts are with the victims and their families. We will continue to offer them support over the coming days and weeks.”

“I would like to thank the citizens, including employees of local businesses, who bravely intervened in this incident. They put themselves in danger and in doing so showed London at its best.”

Pintaru was remanded in custody and will appear again at the Old Bailey on 10 September.