Health of boy thrown from Tate Modern takes ‘sad step backwards’, family say
TL;DR
The family of a boy thrown from the Tate Modern reports his recovery has taken a 'sad step backwards' following recent surgery. The child, who suffered severe injuries from a 100ft fall in 2019, faces a longer and more challenging rehabilitation process than anticipated.
Key points
- Boy thrown from Tate Modern in 2019
- Sustained life-changing injuries
- Recovery has taken a sad step backwards after surgery
Mentioned in this story
The family of a boy thrown from the 10th-storey balcony of the Tate Modern seven years ago said it feels as though his recovery has taken a “sad step backwards” after surgery.
The unnamed French child was six when he was seriously hurt in an attack by Jonty Bravery at the London attraction in August 2019.
The child, who was on holiday with his parents, survived a 100ft fall but sustained life-changing injuries, including a bleed on the brain and multiple broken bones.
His family, who call him “notre petit chevalier” – our little knight – said in an update posted on a GoFundMe page on Tuesday that the youngster’s rehabilitation is “proving longer and more difficult than expected” after surgery in January.
Jonty Bravery was given a life sentence for the attack. Photograph: Metropolitan Police/PA
“He is still hospitalised in a rehabilitation centre because he is still unable to walk,” they said.
“He has only been able to have weekend leave for the past three weeks, in a wheelchair, which frustrates him greatly: it feels like a sad step backward.”
The family added: “He is eager to be able to walk again and resume a normal life outside the rehabilitation centre, even if this normal life means spending half his time in treatment and only the other half at school.”
The family said he is keen to get out of hospital because they have “finally” found a school “perfectly suited to his needs”, which he was able to try out before his operation.
“In a very short time, he made new friends who have stayed in touch despite his extended absence,” they said.
“They encourage him and eagerly await his return. It’s a warm welcome he hasn’t received at school in a long time.”
Bravery, who was 17 at the time, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 15 years.
He was in supported accommodation at the time of the attack but allowed out unsupervised.
In January, Bravery, 24, was jailed for 16 weeks after he was found guilty of assaulting two nurses at Broadmoor, a high-security psychiatric hospital in Berkshire, in 2024.
Q&A
What happened to the boy thrown from the Tate Modern?
The boy was thrown from the 10th-storey balcony by Jonty Bravery in August 2019, resulting in life-changing injuries.
How has the boy's recovery progressed after surgery?
His family reported that his recovery has taken a 'sad step backwards' and is proving to be longer and more difficult than expected.
What injuries did the boy sustain from the fall?
He sustained a bleed on the brain and multiple broken bones after surviving a 100ft fall.
