A 33-year-old man, Ioan Pintaru, has been detained indefinitely after he stabbed an 11-year-old Australian girl eight times in London’s Leicester Square. The attack happened on August 12 last year while the girl was on holiday with her mother. Pintaru approached the girl as she left a Lego store around 11:30 am, placed her in a headlock, and stabbed her in the face, neck, and chest. He pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a knife. The court sentenced him under sections 37 and 41 of the Mental Health Act, allowing indefinite detention. The victim’s mother told the court she believed she was watching her daughter die and now suffers deep emotional harm. Judge Richard Marks KC said, “The trauma they carry is lifelong.” The mother described feeling guilt and constant fear. Pintaru originally faced attempted murder charges, but due to his psychosis at the time, prosecutors could not prove intent to kill. The attempted murder count was dropped. A security guard named Abdullah bravely intervened during the attack, grabbing Pintaru’s hand and forcing him to drop the knife. Abdullah and two others pinned Pintaru until police arrived. The judge commended Abdullah and awarded him £1,000 from public funds. The girl, now 13, has healed physically but still suffers invisible scars. During police interviews, Pintaru broke down when shown images of the injuries. He revealed he felt paranoid and thought getting arrested was the only way to save himself. Pintaru had been previously treated in a psychiatric hospital in Romania.