Eyesight of boy thrown from Tate Modern getting ‘better and better’, family say
Autistic teenager Bravery intended to select and kill someone, a court heard
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The family of a boy thrown from the 10th floor of the Tate Modern said their “little knight sees better and better” after suffering severe damage to his eyesight.
The French youngster was six-years-old when he was badly hurt in an attack by Jonty Bravery in the London gallery in August 2019.
Bravery, an autistic teenager, was in supported accommodation at the time of the attack but allowed out unsupervised.
He intended to select and kill someone, a court was later told.
His victim, on holiday with his parents, survived a 100ft (30m) fall but suffered life-changing injuries, including a bleed on the brain and broken bones.
Bravery was convicted of attempted murder in 2020 and jailed for 15 years.
In a fresh update, the victim’s family said he has shown increased dexterity and responsiveness.
Posting on a GoFundMe page, which has raised more than 377,000 euro (nearly £332,000) for the boy’s treatment and rehabilitation, his family said: “A clear improvement for his sight was noted by his orthoptist who prescribed him new glasses with a much smaller correction: our little knight sees better and better.”
The boy can ride a tricycle, and his wardrobe has been adapted to remove buttons and laces so he can dress himself.
We know the road is still long but our little knight is not giving up. His courage and his efforts are just incredible
His family said the start of the new school year has gone well but he still has “great difficulties with writing and with his memory”.
They added: “Sadly, he also has a really hard time making friends because of his fatigue and the wheelchair which prevents him from playing like the other children in the playground.”
In July, the boy’s family took him to an adapted holiday home in the Massif Central mountain range in southern France to train him to walk with a cane.
His family said: “We had to catch him countless times, but he made progress in mastering his balance, starting at the end of the fortnight to lean his shoulders forwards or backwards, depending on the slope. A real little adventurer.”
As part of his recovery, the boy goes to a swimming pool with a specialised therapist and his family said he is “beginning to be able to close his mouth in the water”.
They added: “We know the road is still long but our little knight is not giving up. His courage and his efforts are just incredible.”
Additional reporting by PA