A security guard who disarmed a knifeman attacking an 11-year-old girl in central London has revealed he now considers the victim "like my younger sister". Abdullah Tanoli, 30, received a £1,000 reward from the Old Bailey for his bravery during the brutal attack in Leicester Square last August, which left the Australian tourist with life-changing psychological scars.
A judge sentenced Ioan Pintaru, 33, Tuesday to an indefinite hospital order under the Mental Health Act for stabbing the child eight times in the face, neck and chest. The girl, now 13, was leaving a Lego store with her mother when Pintaru placed her in a headlock and repeatedly stabbed her at approximately 11:30am on August 12.
Tanoli told the BBC he knew immediately something was wrong. "You know when a child is just crying, but when someone is being hurt, that scream is different," he said. The scream was "not normal screaming". He raced from his security post without hesitation. "At that moment, the only thing in my mind was to save the child."
Bond with victim
The security guard has remained in contact with the victim's mother via social media since the attack. "I consider her like my younger sister," Tanoli said. While the girl has physically recovered, he acknowledged the trauma: "If you see her now, she looks normal. I am very relieved."
Prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe KC told the Old Bailey: "The psychological effects of this incident will remain with (her) for the rest of her life," describing the victim's "invisible scars" despite physical healing.
Court recognition
Judge Richard Marks KC commended Tanoli's selfless actions, ordering the £1,000 reward from public funds. Pintaru received a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act and a restriction order under Section 41, allowing his indefinite detention.
Detective Constable Laura Nicoll, who led the investigation, called it "It was a savage and brutal attack that left the city in shock". She praised the response: "But following the most appalling scene, we also saw the best of London: a security guard who raced from his post without a thought of his own safety, the off-duty nurse who tended to the little girl's wounds."
Two other men helped Tanoli pin Pintaru down after the attack. An off-duty nurse helped stem the victim's bleeding. "Without them, she might not be alive today," Nicoll said.
Tanoli reflected on why he acted while others stood back: "Most people stayed back, and that is understandable – safety first – but if you know you can save someone, you should," he said. "I never thought I would see something like that."
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
