The horrific attack occurred in August 2019 when Jonty Bravery, then 17, snatched the six-year-old French boy from his family during their week-long holiday in London and hurled him over the railing on the viewing platform. The boy fell 100 feet onto the roof of the fifth floor, suffering life-changing injuries including bleeding on the brain and broken bones, but survived the fall. The family was visiting from France for a holiday when the attack unfolded at the popular tourist attraction.
Bravery had been researching the best way to kill someone and specifically planned to throw someone from the Tate Modern viewing platform, according to multiple reports. He had told care workers of a plan to push someone off a high building roughly a year earlier, and on the day of the attack, he first tried to get into the Shard earlier in the afternoon before proceeding to the Tate Modern. CCTV footage showed Bravery smiling, with arms raised, shrugging, and laughing after throwing the boy, according to prosecutor Deanna Heer.
Jonty Bravery, now 23, suffers from a personality disorder and was allowed out unsupervised from supported accommodation on the day of the attack. The exact nature of his personality disorder and how it relates to his autism diagnosis remains unclear, creating questions about his mental state and the context of the attack.
His memory skills remain limited, but the family says they are functional and still improving.
In 2020, Bravery was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years after pleading guilty to manslaughter. He is currently held at Broadmoor, a high-security psychiatric hospital in Berkshire, according to multiple reports.
The boy's family revealed that late last year, he had learned to run, jump, and swim again. He found a new school suited to his needs and made friends there before his surgery, and according to research, the boy, now a pre-teen, is not only surviving but thriving in ways that seemed impossible in those early days.
Recent months have brought challenges, with the boy's family revealing he has taken a 'sad step backward' in his recovery, unable to walk and hospitalized in a rehabilitation center. He had surgery in January and his rehabilitation is proving longer and more difficult than expected, according to his family. Research indicates the boy's ongoing rehabilitation means he can only participate in half of his classes.
His improving memory allows him to acquire general knowledge at his own pace and increasingly be included with other children.
Current rehabilitation efforts are intensive, with the boy requiring 10 rehabilitation sessions per week according to LADbible. He practices on his adapted tricycle with his father by his side, as splints attached to the pedals mean he cannot get on or off the bike by himself. The boy is in a wheelchair and requires round-the-clock care due to his injuries, according to multiple reports.
Despite setbacks, the boy has achieved inspiring milestones, with one particularly poignant achievement this past summer being a 2.5-hour tricycle ride to the seaside, a goal the boy set for himself with his father.
Educational adjustments are necessary as the boy's rehabilitation schedule has prompted the family to consider moving to find a school better suited to his needs, according to research.
After several progressive training sessions, the boy and his father completed their 2.5-hour journey to the beach and back.
Community support has been substantial, with a fundraiser for the boy's recovery raising more than £500,000 according to multiple reports.
Key unknowns persist about the boy's current condition and prognosis, including what specific personality disorder Bravery has and how it relates to his autism diagnosis. The current status of the boy's rehabilitation and school attendance also remains uncertain given conflicting reports of progress and setbacks.
The most recent reports were shared on October 27, 2025, according to research, indicating ongoing public and media interest in this case nearly six years after the attack.