The attack occurred shortly before noon outside a tea shop in Leicester Square, a magnet for tourists with its shops and theaters.
Workers from nearby shops leapt to the assistance of the victims. Officers arrived within four minutes and arrested the attacker, police said. Police said they weren’t seeking anyone else in connection with the attack.
“I would like to pay tribute to the members of the public, including staff from local businesses, who bravely intervened in this incident,’' Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah said. “They put themselves at risk and showed the best of London in doing so.”
The victims were taken to a major trauma center. The girl required treatment but her life was not in jeopardy, police said. Her mother, 34, had less serious injuries.
The suspect is 32, and police said that at this stage, they don’t believe he knew the victims.
“An urgent investigation is now ongoing and detectives are working to establish the details around exactly what happened,″ Jessah said.
The stabbing occurred during a recent rise in knife crime in Britain, which is on edge after days of violence as crowds spouting anti-immigrant and Islamophobic slogans clashed with police. The disturbances have been fueled by right-wing activists who used social media to spread misinformation about a mass stabbing that killed three girls during a Taylor Swift-themed dance event.
It was not clear if Monday’s attack had any link to the unrest.
Police had braced for further riots over the weekend, but no widespread unrest occurred. Ministers remain on high alert, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said, adding that its work was not done in dealing with the fallout from the recent violence.
