Boy critically injured when he was hurled 100ft off Tate Modern is now doing judo and archery as his condition improves

16 January 2023, 06:20

A young boy who was seriously hurt when he was thrown 100ft off a viewing platform in London's Tate Modern has been doing archery and judo as his condition improves, his family have said.

The boy, then aged 6, was attacked by 17-year-old Jonty Bravery in a pre-meditated assault at the art gallery in August 2019.

Bravery, who was in supported accommodation but allowed out unsupervised, intended to go and kill someone that day, a court heard.

His French victim, who has never been named publicly, was in London for a holiday with his parents.

He survived the 30-metre fall but suffered life-changing injuries, including a bleed on the brain and several broken bones.

Sharing the latest news on his development via a fundraiser, his parents said their "little knight" was taking part in more active hobbies as he continues to improve.

"Since September, we have returned to Paris several times to consult specialists because we have to monitor the development of our son's back, shoulder and hip, given his growth.

"We will now have to do this check every six months, to make sure that he does not need a corset again. Similarly, some new operations may unfortunately become necessary.

'In prevention, specialists recommend appropriate physical activity. This is why we have registered our son for equine therapy and the swimming pool with his specialised educator.

"And the latter also accompanies him, since the end of October, to judo. She does it very gently and does not let go of an inch on the tatami, of course.

"From time to time, we also take him for adapted archery. Our son has always loved sports, he is delighted to do all this."

Adding that their son's breathing was also improving, they wrote: "We have also found a new speech therapist, and thanks to her, our little knight has made considerable progress in swallowing and breathing.

"He's able to blow out candles again, he hardly makes any more wrong turns when he drinks liquids, and he's starting to keep the rhythm of the songs better.

"He is also pursuing orthoptics and his sight is improving further, as is his memory thanks to cognitive remediation sessions with his neuropsychologist.

"He remembers more and more things he did or was told during the day."

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The family said that their little boy's school results were "very positive", adding: "Our son's teacher and guide are both very happy with his progress: he manages to follow in class despite his difficulties, because he is extremely courageous and hardworking.

"Thus, despite the fact that he still has to automate the writing of letters, he nevertheless manages to improve in spelling and to obtain very good marks in dictation, which he is very proud of.

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"Moreover, thanks to all his mobility progress (balance, left arm, muscle strengthening, etc.), he is increasingly able to play alone at home and in the hospital.

"This is a huge step towards his autonomy, even if he is still very dependent for very simple daily tasks (tuck his T-shirt into his pants, cut his meat, wash his hair, etc.)"

Bravery, from Ealing in west London, was found guilty of attempted murder in 2020 and jailed for 15 years.

Bravery was a "looked-after child" under the care of Hammersmith and Fulham Social Services at the time of the incident.He was living in supported accommodation and had autism, prosecutor Deanna Heer said in the trial in June 2020.

CCTV caught Bravery on the day of the attack turning towards the victim's family, with the boy skipping a little way away from his parents.

Ms Heer said: "As (the boy) approached, the defendant scooped him up and, without any hesitation, carried him straight to the railings and threw him over.

"The CCTV footage shows (the boy) falling head-first towards the ground."

Ms Heer said CCTV also showed the defendant backing away from the railings.

She said: "He can be seen to be smiling, with his arms raised. At one point, he appears to shrug and laugh."

The footage also captures (the victim's) parents' disbelief and rising panic at what had just happened. She said the boy's father initially thought the incident was "a joke" until he saw his son's distorted body below.