A homeless man who carried out a frenzied, random knife attack on an 11-year-old girl in the heart of London's Leicester Square has been detained indefinitely in a secure psychiatric hospital.
A Dream Trip Turns to Nightmare
The horrific incident occurred on the morning of December 16, 2025, as the young Australian tourist and her mother were sightseeing after a dream trip to see Taylor Swift at Wembley Stadium. As they left the Lego store at around 11.30am, Ioan Pintaru, 33, approached and launched a sudden, violent assault.
Prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe KC told the Old Bailey that Pintaru put the girl in a headlock and began stabbing her repeatedly in the face, neck, and shoulder with a kitchen knife. The victim later told police she felt his weight on her and, in that moment, thought she was going to die. She felt the blade strike her face and blood running down her skin.
Heroic Intervention and Lifelong Scars
The girl's mother witnessed the attack, describing how Pintaru stabbed with a "crazed and vacant" expression, his arm moving "like a jackhammer" with as much force as he could muster. She was certain she was watching her daughter be killed.
The violence was stopped by the brave actions of a security guard named Abdullah, who worked at the nearby TWG Tea shop. He rushed over, managed to grab Pintaru's knife-wielding hand, and forced him to drop the weapon, which he then kicked away. Abdullah and two other men pinned the assailant down until police arrived minutes later to arrest him. A passing nurse also stopped to help stem the girl's bleeding.
While the girl, now 13, has recovered physically, the psychological impact is profound. The court heard she remains deeply conscious of her scars, and the "invisible scars" from the trauma will remain with her for life.
Mental Health Defence and Sentencing
Pintaru, who appeared in the dock with three health workers, had a history of psychiatric issues, including a prior admission to a hospital in his native Romania. During assessments, he told a psychiatrist he believed he was being followed and felt the only way to save himself was to get sent to prison.
He admitted to wounding with intent but denied attempted murder. The Crown Prosecution Service accepted this plea, concluding his psychosis meant it could not be proven he intended to kill.
On Tuesday, Judge Richard Marks KC sentenced Pintaru at the Old Bailey to a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act with a restriction order under Section 41. This means he can be detained in a secure hospital indefinitely for treatment. The judge highlighted the mother's devastating victim impact statement, in which she relives the traumatic moment repeatedly.
