11-year-old girl grabbed in a headlock at Leicester Square, London and stabbed with a knife

London police announced Tuesday that a man has been charged with attempted murder following the knife stabbing of an 11-year-old girl in one of the city’s busiest tourist areas.

The Metropolitan Police (Met) said in a statement that 32-year-old Ioan Pintaru will appear in court later Tuesday after the girl and her 34-year-old mother were stabbed.

The incident took place in Leicester Square on Monday while the girl was with her mother. She was rushed to hospital with serious injuries, although it is not considered life-threatening, AFP reported.

A security guard, who gave his name as Abdullah, 29, an employee at TWG Tea in Leicester Square, told the BBC he intervened to stop the attacker and, with help from his colleagues, applied first aid to the child.

The Met said it was “not looking for anyone else” in connection with the incident and did not believe the victims knew the attacker. At this stage, there is no indication that the knife stabbing is related to terrorism.

Desmond, 45, shared with PA Media that the suspect, identified as a “young, white, skinny man wearing a black T-shirt and jeans,” appeared to be targeting the girl specifically in the attack.

Desmond, a Leicester Square street artist, witnessed the attacker stabbing the girl after he put her in a headlock.

“It was horrific; I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said.

“I saw the woman screaming with all her strength.”

Jessah described the event as “a horrific incident” and praised those who “courageously stepped in”.

“They risked their own safety and demonstrated the best of London in the process,” she added.

Attack comes two weeks after Southport mass stabbing
The attack occurred two weeks after a knife attack in Southport, England, that left three girls dead and ten others injured.

The mass killing sparked riots across England after rumours circulated online that the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker.

According to CCN, the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) warned last month that violence against women and girls in England and Wales had reached “epidemic levels”.