Boy thrown from 10th floor of Tate Modern can now stand unaided, says family
Seven-year-old victim has moved into a rehabilitation centre and visits his parents at weekends
The boy who suffered life-changing injuries when he was thrown from the Tate Modern viewing platform can now stand unaided, his family has said.
The seven-year-old has moved into a recovery centre in his native France to continue his rehabilitation, more than a year after teenager Jonty Bravery threw him from the 10th-storey balcony of the London gallery.
Bravery, who is now 18, is serving a 15-year prison sentence after he was found guilty of attempted murder.
In a statement updating supporters about the boy’s progress, his family described how his condition has improved in recent months.
They stated: “We are already seeing new progress: he can at last stand on his legs without any help or support. Furthermore, his memory is gradually improving: he can now remember activities he has done the same day or the day before.
“Regarding food, he now eats almost alone … and, in a suitable glass, he begins to drink slightly thickened liquids. It’s very important progress.”
The French national, who was in the UK on holiday at the time of the senseless attack, sustained very serious injuries in the fall – including fractures to his spine and broken legs and arms.
His family said the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, spends his weekdays at the rehabilitation centre and stays with his family at the weekends.
“At the moment, we are still far from home, but we have come close enough that our son’s friends can come and visit him more often, as well as our family,” they said.
Their statement added: “The lockdown had isolated us so much: it was really, really hard.”
A fundraising page for the victim has raised more than £250,000 towards his care.
Bravery – who was 17 when he threw the then-six-year-old from the viewing platform last August – was jailed in June.
The judge said Bravery’s autism and personality disorder did not explain the attack, and that expert evidence indicated he presented “a grave and immediate danger to the public”.