Six-year-old thrown off Tate Modern suffers 'deep bleed to the brain', broken spine, and shattered limbs
A six-year-old French boy who was snatched from his mother and thrown off the 10th-floor viewing gallery at London's Tate Modern museum on Sunday has suffered a "deep bleed to the brain", a broken spine, shattered legs and arms, a court heard on Tuesday.
According to a Daily Mail report, the teen suspect appeared tearful in the dock at Bromley Magistrates' Court this morning and ordered to be held on a charge of attempted murder at one of London's most famous galleries on Sunday.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sporting a black eye in court after being punched by a witness following his alleged attempt to kill the child tourist. Although no motive is yet known for his action, police said the suspect and the victim had no connection.
The victim along with his family that was visiting London on holiday. The court heard he was snatched and thrown from the tenth-floor viewing platform in one "very swift" movement before he fell more than 100ft and landed on the art gallery's fifth-floor roof.
The six-year-old boy was subsequently airlifted to hospital in critical condition having sustained fractures to his spine, legs, and arms.
This morning, the teenager appeared confused and tearful as he stood in front of the magistrate and spoke only to confirm his name, age, and British nationality.
"This is an incident that took place on August 4. The complainant is a six-year-old child," Sian Morgan, prosecuting, told the court. "Visiting the Tate with his parents they were on the 10th-floor viewing platform. He walked a couple of feet away from his parents."
It was then that the 17-year-old picked him up and threw him over the edge of the viewing platform in a "very swift" single movement.
"The boy fell approximately 100 feet to the 5th floor," Morgan continued. "He suffered very serious injuries and is currently in hospital. He suffered fractures to his spine legs and arms. The 17-year-old was apprehended by members of the public. Police arrived and arrested him."
"You will be returned to youth detention until Thursday, August 8 when you will attend the Central Criminal Court," Magistrate David Armitage told the teenager. "You will attend there again on August 22 for a trial preparation hearing."
The 17-year-old is scheduled to appear at the Old Bailey on August 8 to plea after being charged with attempted murder. Then, a trial preparation hearing is scheduled to take place again at the Old Bailey on August 22.
The child's family held a bedside vigil on Monday as his condition improved to "stable but critical."
Meanwhile, police are appealing for more witnesses to come forward to help with an ongoing investigation into the incident.