Leicester Square Child Stabber Has Attempted Murder Charge Dropped

Shock twist in Leicester Square stabbing case as prosecutors drop attempted murder charge against Romanian attacker who knifed 11-year-old tourist eight times.

A Romanian national who launched a random knife attack on an 11-year-old girl in Leicester Square has had his charge of attempted murder formally dropped, after prosecutors accepted his guilty plea to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The incident, which took place on 12 August last year in London’s West End, saw 33-year-old Ioan Pintaru approach the young Australian tourist moments after she and her mother left the Lego store in Leicester Square. Without warning, he placed the child in a headlock and stabbed her eight times before being overpowered by members of the public, including a local security guard, who restrained him until police arrived.

The girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, sustained multiple stab wounds to her face, shoulder, wrist and neck. She was taken to hospital, where doctors confirmed the injuries were serious but not life-threatening. The attack, carried out in broad daylight in one of the capital’s busiest tourist areas, left bystanders in shock as emergency services sealed off the scene beside the Lego and M&M’s stores.

Pintaru, a Romanian citizen of no fixed address in the United Kingdom, was arrested at the scene and later charged with attempted murder and possession of a bladed article. The weapon, described in court as a steak knife, was recovered by police. He later entered guilty pleas to wounding with intent and possession of the knife but denied the charge of attempted murder, which had been due to proceed to trial at the Old Bailey this week.

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During a short hearing before Judge Richard Marks KC, the court was told the Crown Prosecution Service would not proceed with the attempted murder count after reviewing psychiatric evidence from two independent experts. Prosecutors concluded they could not prove beyond reasonable doubt that Pintaru had the specific intent to kill, an essential element required for a conviction of attempted murder.

The decision was confirmed in open court, with the judge setting a sentencing date of 16 December, when the victim’s family are expected to attend remotely from Australia via videolink. Pintaru, who remains detained at a high-security psychiatric facility in Liverpool, was not required to attend the hearing.