It was a miracle that we survived, says victim of Hainault sword attack
A VICTIM of the sword attack in Hainault said today it was a “miracle” he and his family were not killed.
Henry De Los Rios Polania, 35, suffered serious hand injuries while fighting off the attacker who burst into his home brandishing a samurai sword on April 30. Four other people were injured during the attack, including Daniel Anjorin, 14, who died of his wounds.
Mr Los Rios Polania told the BBC that he had been asleep in his home with his wife and four-year-old daughter when the intruder broke in.
He said: “I thought I was going to die, even my wife and child. We thought we were going to die that morning. I believe a miracle happened in that room. My little one woke up and this guy got scared and he left.”
He added: “I felt so helpless. I looked around for something to help protect myself and all I saw was pillows and teddy bears; there was nothing I could use to stop him from attacking us”.
Mr Los Rios Polania’s wife and child were not injured, but he fears that his daughter will suffer flashbacks from the traumatic event. “I just hope she doesn’t remember anything,” he said. “I get flashbacks. All I know is the next house I get into I’ll make it really safe. I don’t want anyone to come from the outside.”
Mr Los Rios Polania underwent almost 10 hours of surgery to reconstruct tendons and veins in his hand following the attack. He was released from hospital yesterday but will need to return for further surgery.
Marcus Arduini Monzo, 36, faces a series of criminal charges over the death of Daniel, alleged attacks on three people including police officers, and the stabbing of Mr Los Rios Polania. He appeared at the Old Bailey on Monday, where he was remanded in custody and told his trial had been set for February next year.
Mr Los Rios Polania said he felt “so sorry” for Daniel’s family, adding: “When I got close to the ambulance, I saw him on the floor — it shouldn’t have happened.”
Daniel’s parents have paid tribute to their “loved and amazing son”. They said: “We as a family are devastated by the loss of our beloved son Daniel. It is difficult for us at this time to process what has happened to him and that he will never come home. Daniel had left the house for school and then he was gone.
“Our children have lost their loving and precious brother and we have lost the most loved and amazing son.” Daniel’s school, Bancroft’s, said he was a “true scholar” who had a “positive nature and gentle character”. It described him as a “core member” of the community, and continued: “Losing such a young pupil is something we will always struggle to come to terms with.”
The teenager attended the school where Grace O’Malley-Kumar — who was killed in a random stabbing attack in Nottingham in June 2023 — had previously been a pupil.