LONDON -- A man accused of stabbing an 11-year-old girl in London’s bustling theater district was charged Tuesday with attempted murder.

Ioan Pintaru seized the girl in a chokehold and repeatedly stabbed her, causing serious injuries, according to prosecutors.

The young woman was admitted to the hospital and needed reconstructive surgery for injuries to her face, shoulder, wrist and neck, according to prosecutor David Burns.

Police have not disclosed the reason behind the attack, but they stated that there is no indication that the stabbing was related to terrorism and they do not believe the attacker knew the mother or daughter.

The incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. on Monday in Leicester Square, a popular tourist destination, outside a tea shop.

A worker at the tea shop and other people passing by quickly subdued the suspect by pinning him to the ground. They restrained him until law enforcement officers arrived. A kitchen knife was found at the scene.

"Thankfully, bystanders stepped in and stopped the child from being hurt any further," Burns stated.

The girl's mother was not injured, although she initially seemed to be because she was covered in her daughter's blood, police said.

Pintaru, 32, a Romanian citizen, who also faces a charge involving a knife, was detained. He was required to appear on Sept. 10 at the Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey.

The stabbing incident occurred amidst a recent surge in knife-related crimes in Britain. The nation is on high alert following days of unrest, characterized by confrontations between police and crowds chanting anti-immigrant and Islamophobic slogans in numerous cities and towns.

The unrest was sparked by far-right extremists, who employed social media to disseminate false information about a multiple stabbing that took the lives of three girls during a Taylor Swift-themed dance party.