Shocking Leicester Square attack: 32-year-old man arrested after stabbing 11-year-old girl

LONDON, Aug. 12 — London’s Metropolitan Police said Monday that a 32-year-old man had been arrested after an 11-year-old girl was “seriously injured” in a stabbing in Leicester Square in the city center.

The young victim will require further treatment in hospital but her condition is “not life-threatening”, while her 34-year-old mother also suffered minor injuries, police added.

Police said in a statement that the 32-year-old man was arrested at the scene and that officers were not looking for anyone else in connection with the attack.

“An urgent investigation is underway and detectives are working to establish details of exactly what happened,” Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah said.

“At this time, we do not believe the suspect and victims knew each other.

“While we continue to work to establish the suspect’s motive, at this time there is nothing to indicate that the attack was terrorism-related.”

It comes exactly two weeks after the knife attack in Southport, northwest England, in which three girls were killed and eight other children were injured, as well as two adults.

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

A British-born teenager has been charged with murder and attempted murder.

This case is also not being treated as terrorism.

‘Terrible’

Monday’s stabbing took place in the heart of the British capital, in an area popular with tourists and shoppers.

A security guard told the Press Association (PA) news agency he intervened and grabbed a knife from a man who was attacking an 11-year-old child on the west side of Leicester Square.

A 29-year-old security guard at a nearby store, who gave his name as Abdullah, said he heard a scream and then saw someone “stabbing a child.”

“I jumped on him, grabbed the hand he had a knife in, put him on the ground, grabbed him and took the knife from him,” he said.

“Then a few more people joined us and we held him down until the police arrived.”

Desmond, 45, told PA the suspect – described as a “young, slim white man wearing a black t-shirt and jeans” – appeared to focus his attack on the girl.

The witness, a street performer who performs as Darth Vader on the streets of Leicester Square every day, said the attacker stabbed her and restrained her in a headlock.

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

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

Jessah called it “a horrific incident” and paid tribute to the people “who bravely intervened”.

“They took a risk and showed the best of London in doing so,” he added. — AFP