Streatham terror attack victim is popular nursery teacher, 51, knifed in the back after dropping daughter, 12, to pals
ONE of the Streatham terror attack victims is a popular nursery school teacher who was knifed in the back after dropping her 12-year-old daughter off with pals, The Sun Online can reveal today.
Monika Luftner, 51, screamed “he stabbed me” after crazed jihadi Sudesh Amman launched his senseless attack on Sunday.
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The 20-year-old was released from prison just 10 days before he started knifing strangers with a 10-inch knife he stole from a nearby shop on Streatham High Road.
Monika, who works at St Bede’s Catholic Infant & Nursery School near Balham, travelled to Streatham with her daughter to meet friends in a cafe.
She turned down another coffee and left her daughter with her pals before deciding to cycle home.
Monika was then stabbed in the back and ran down the street shouting as Amman began hacking at innocent pedestrians just before 2pm.
He was gunned down and killed by undercover cops with all three victims now recovering from their injuries.
"SHOCKING ATTACK"
Speaking from their South London home this morning, Mrs Luftner’s husband told The Sun Online she is recovering after being discharged from hospital on Sunday night.
She is understood to have worked at the school for more than five years and teaches kids aged three and four years old.
One parent, whose daughter is taught by the nursery teacher, told The Sun Online: “Everyone is devastated for her.
“She’s such a lovely woman who would do anything for the kids.
“She’s always coming up with new ideas for the school and doing things after hours, she’s a big part of the community.”
She's such a lovely woman who would do anything for the kids.
Local parent
A spokesman for her school said: "We can confirm a member of staff was injured in Sunday's terror related incident in Streatham.
"She is now making a good recovery after experiencing a shocking attack."
The spokesman added that she was "being supported by the school community" but needed time to recover.
One woman was told by her daughter that a teacher had been stabbed.
The mum - who did not wish to be named - said: "It's terrifying, it's so close to home. I hope she recovers quickly."
A source from the Archdiocese of Southwark said: “She is in shock still. It still hasn’t sunk in what has happened.
“It is all very fresh. But she is doing okay.”
Amman launched into his crazed knife attack just days after being released automatically from jail for a string of terror offences.
We can confirm a member of staff was injured in Sunday's terror related incident in Streatham.
St Bede’s Catholic Infant & Nursery School
The warped jihadi donned a fake suicide vest and hacked at terrified passers-by with a £3.99 knife he stole from a local shop.
Panicked people urged one wounded man to "stay with us" as he lay gravely injured on the ground after being slashed in the chest with a "huge knife".
Dramatic footage then showed undercover officers swoop on the terrorist as he lay on the pavement after being shot three times.
The Met Police later said that three people were injured in the deadly attack but one has since been discharged from hospital.
A spokesperson said: "One man, who is in his 40s, was initially considered to be in a life-threatening condition however, we are thankful that following his treatment at hospital, this is no longer the case.
"One woman in her 50s had non-life threatening injuries and has been discharged from hospital.
RECOVERING
"Another woman in her 20s has minor injuries - believed to have been caused by glass following the discharge of the police firearm.
"She continues to receive treatment at hospital. My thoughts are with the victims and their families."
Amman, from Harrow, North London, was sentenced to more than three years in jail in 2018 for committing terror offences.
But he was let-out on automatic release after serving half his sentence - despite concerns he still held extremist views.
A Whitehall source said Amman was released early from prison because there was nothing the authorities could do under existing laws to keep him behind bars.
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The ISIS-supporting jihadi, who was only a teenager when arrested, was jailed for possessing and distributing terrorist documents.
He urged his then-girlfriend to behead her own parents and revealed he wanted to "purge society" after pledging allegiance to ISIS.
Amman was being monitored by counter-terror cops when he carried out the attack.
Just hours before, he had called his mum and told her he wanted his favourite mutton curry.
