Leicester Square stabbing: 11-year-old Australian girl stabbed to death while visiting a tourist hotspot with her mother – it turns out she has recovered enough to see Taylor Swift live in concert
An 11-year-old Australian girl who was stabbed to death in London’s Leicester Square has returned home and bravely spoken for the first time since the horrific ordeal.
Laila Johnson was in the tourist hotspot with her mother Samantha, 34, on August 12 when she was allegedly attacked by a homeless man.
The student from Candelo, near Bega on the south coast of New South Wales, suffered injuries to her face, shoulder, wrist and neck in the “random attack” with a steak knife.
Ioan Pintaru, 32, allegedly put her in a headlock and then began his frenzied attack, stabbing the girl eight times before being restrained by passers-by and subsequently arrested by police.
Laila was hospitalized in serious condition and underwent plastic surgery.
Police claim that Pintaru was not known to the girl or her mother.
Just a few days after the alleged attack, Laila was released from hospital and attended the live concert of US pop star Taylor Swift at Wembley Stadium accompanied by two police officers.
She and her mother returned to Australia on Sunday and have since returned to school to play the lead role in an Alice in Wonderland play.
Laila Johnson was with her mother Samantha, 34, in the tourist hotspot on August 12 when she was allegedly attacked by a homeless man
Laila was able to attend a Taylor Swift concert last Tuesday despite the alleged attack
“I had to go to the Taylor Swift concert. It was incredible,” Laila told the Daily Telegraph.
“Some people organized a VIP box for us where we had food and a private toilet, which was very exciting.”
She did not want the alleged attack to spoil her vacation in London.
“I met so many nice people, especially at the hospital and the police, who took care of me,” said Laila.
“They were just so nice.”
Laila and her mother were visiting London after travelling to the Paris Olympics to cheer on the Matildas during the group stages.
They were window shopping in Leicester Square when the stabbing occurred.
“We had just come out of the Lego store and she got jumped. Yes, she didn’t see it coming and obviously didn’t suspect anything,” Ms Johnson told Seven News.
“I didn’t see it coming and had no idea.”
“It was all very scary. But it could have been a lot worse.”
Laila Johnson (pictured) has now returned to the south coast of New South Wales.
Laila thanked the hospital staff who had cared for her for their services.
“It was hard to meet them under these circumstances, but they are people I will always remember,” she said.
“There were so many people in the hospital and afterwards that I felt much safer.”
Mrs Johnson paid tribute to the way her “incredible” daughter has dealt with the traumatic ordeal.
“She is the most optimistic child you could imagine, she is totally cheerful,” she said.
“She’s ready to get back to normal.”
Ms Johnson remains in contact with the heroic security guard Abdullah who pulled the suspected attacker to the ground.
She thanked him for saving her little daughter’s life.
Laila paid her respects to the police and the staff who cared for her at the hospital
An aerial view of the police cordon at the crime scene in London’s Leicester Square on August 12
Ioan Pintaru, 32, is said to have put the 11-year-old girl in a headlock before attacking her last week
Police officers stand in front of the cordoned off area at London’s Leicester Square on Monday
Pintaru, of no fixed address, appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court last week charged with attempted murder and possession of a knife.
He was wearing a grey prison-issue sweatshirt and the court heard that he is a Romanian citizen.
The charges were read to him by an interpreter during the ten-minute hearing.
Pintaru was remanded in custody and is due to appear again at the Old Bailey on 10 September.
He has a four-year-old child who lives in Manchester, but he is currently homeless.
Prosecutor David Burns told the court that the mother and daughter were in Leicester Square as tourists.
He said the defendant “walked up to the 11-year-old girl and put her in a headlock,” adding: “Then he stabbed her eight times in the body.”
“She suffered injuries to her face, shoulder, wrist and neck area. Fortunately, citizens intervened and prevented further injuries to the child.”
Mr Burns said officers were called and “found the defendant at the mercy of passers-by”.
The prosecutor added: “He was arrested and searched and a knife was found on him.”
“Regarding the plaintiff: She was admitted to hospital and is currently there receiving treatment.
“As far as I know, she needed plastic surgery because of her injuries.”
District Judge Michael Snow described the incident as a “random attack on a child.”
Discarded clothing and emergency medical equipment at the TWG tea shop after the alleged attack
On August 12, police were seen arresting a man in Leicester Square after an 11-year-old girl was stabbed to death.
A forensic artist’s sketch of Ioan Pintaru during his appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ Court last week
He told Pintaru: “These charges must be heard before the Central Criminal Court. You must remain in custody until that date.”
It was initially assumed that Laila’s mother was also injured, but the blood from her daughter’s injuries was mistaken for her own injuries, the Metropolitan Police said.
Investigators added that there was no evidence to suggest the incident was terror-related and they do not believe the suspect and the victims knew each other.
Leicester Square and the surrounding area attract an estimated 2.5 million visitors each week and are home to shops, theatres, cinemas and restaurants.
Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah said: “This is a horrific incident and our thoughts are with the victims and their families. We will continue to offer them support in the coming days and weeks.”
“I would like to thank the citizens, including employees of local businesses, who bravely intervened in this incident. They put themselves in danger and in doing so showed London at its best.
“Urgent investigations are currently underway and investigators are working to establish the exact details of the incident.”
