Boy, 6, who was thrown off Tate Modern balcony takes first steps

03 September 2023 , 19:45

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Paramedics treat boy after horror plunge (Image: PA)

The boy thrown from a 10th floor balcony at Tate Modern four years ago no longer needs a wheelchair to get about day to day.

The 100ft plunge caused the then six-year-old life-changing injuries, including a bleed on the brain and broken bones, and spent months in intensive care. But after years of gruelling recovery work his French family, who call him notre petit chevalier – our little knight – said he is regaining independence.

In an update to a GoFundMe page which has raised over £343,000 they said: “Our son is able to bend, squat, grab toys and clothes, without falling. “He now only uses his wheelchair for long outings. We are rearranging the house to adapt it to its new mode of travel: precarious walking.”

Jonty Bravery (PA)

They added he enjoys walking outdoors with a cane, but still “falls a lot”. He also has physiotherapy and calls his exercises “Naruto training” – a reference to anime ninja character Naruto, known for his willpower. “It’s a lot of work but our son loves it, his efforts pay off” the family said.

He was attacked at the London gallery in August 2019 by autistic 17-year-old Jonty Bravery, who was out unsupervised from his supported accommodation and, a court heard, intended to kill a stranger. Bravery was jailed for 15 years in 2020 for attempted murder.

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