Boy thrown from 10th floor of Tate gallery now practising judo and can blow out candles again, family says
A boy who was thrown from the 10th floor of the Tate Modern art gallery in London is practising a gentle form of judo and adapted archery as his condition improves, his family has said.
The French youngster, who was six at the time of the attack, suffered life-changing injuries including a bleed on the brain and broken bones from the 100ft (30m) fall in August 2019.
Autistic teenager Jonty Bravery was living in supported accommodation at the time but was allowed out unsupervised when he targeted the boy.
Bravery intended to select and kill someone, a court was later told.
He was convicted of attempted murder in 2020 and jailed for 15 years.
Posting on a GoFundMe page, which has raised nearly €400,000 (£354,000) for the youngster’s care and rehabilitation, his family said that he was increasingly taking part in physical activity as part of his treatment.
They said: “Since September, we have returned to Paris several times to consult specialists because we have to monitor the development of our son’s back, shoulder and hip, given his growth.
“We will now have to do this check every six months, to make sure that he does not need a corset again. Similarly, some new operations may unfortunately become necessary.
“In prevention, specialists recommend appropriate physical activity. This is why we have registered our son for equine therapy and the swimming pool with his specialised educator.
“And the latter also accompanies him, since the end of October, to judo. She does it very gently and does not let go of an inch on the tatami, of course.
“From time to time, we also take him for adapted archery. Our son has always loved sports, he is delighted to do all this.”
Explaining that the youngster was also improving with his breathing, they wrote: “We have also found a new speech therapist, and thanks to her, our little knight has made considerable progress in swallowing and breathing.
“He’s able to blow out candles again, he hardly makes any more wrong turns when he drinks liquids, and he’s starting to keep the rhythm of the songs better.
“He is also pursuing orthoptics and his sight is improving further, as is his memory thanks to cognitive remediation sessions with his neuropsychologist.
“He remembers more and more things he did or was told during the day.”
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Jonty Bravery was jailed after the attack
The family said that the boy had “very positive” school results, and added: “Our son’s teacher and guide are both very happy with his progress: he manages to follow in class despite his difficulties, because he is extremely courageous and hardworking.
“Thus, despite the fact that he still has to automate the writing of letters, he nevertheless manages to improve in spelling and to obtain very good marks in dictation, which he is very proud of.
“Moreover, thanks to all his mobility progress (balance, left arm, muscle strengthening, etc.), he is increasingly able to play alone at home and in the hospital.
“This is a huge step towards his autonomy, even if he is still very dependent for very simple daily tasks (tuck his T-shirt into his pants, cut his meat, wash his hair, etc.).”
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh.
It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be investigated.
He told the Sunday Times the properties should be handed back to his government if they were acquired through “plain robbery”.
Tory leader Ms Badenoch said: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq.
“He appointed his personal friend as anti-corruption minister and she is accused herself of corruption.
“Now the government of Bangladesh is raising serious concerns about her links to the regime of Sheikh Hasina.”
Ms Siddiq insists she has “done nothing wrong”.
Her aunt was ousted from office in August following an uprising against her 20-year leadership and fled to India.
Ms Siddiq is also named with her aunt in Bangladesh court documents about meetings with the Russian government.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir to sack the minister
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As economic secretary to the Treasury, Ms Siddiq is responsible for policy on both the City and tackling corruption.
She referred herself to the prime minister’s ethics watchdog on Monday following the reports about the properties.
On the same day, the prime minister said: “Tulip Siddiq has acted entirely properly by referring herself to the independent adviser, as she’s now done, and that’s why we brought into being the new code.
“It’s to allow ministers to ask the adviser to establish the facts, and yes, I’ve got confidence in her, and that’s the process that will now be happening.”
Police in Aberdeen have widened the search area for two sisters who disappeared four days ago in the city.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV on Market Street after leaving their home on Tuesday at around 2.12am.
The sisters – who are part of a set of triplets and originally from Hungary – crossed the Victoria Bridge to the Torry area and turned right on to a footpath next to the River Dee.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti were last seen on CCTV in Market Street. Pic: Police Scotland/PA
They headed in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club but officers said there is no evidence to suggest the missing women left the immediate area.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and a marine unit have been trying to trace the pair.
The sisters crossed Victoria Bridge before walking along a footpath next to the River Dee
The pair were heading in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club on the south side of the River Dee
Further searches are being carried out towards the Port of Aberdeen’s South Harbour and Duthie Park.
Police Scotland said it is liaising with authorities in Hungary to support the relatives of the two sisters.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Eliza and Henrietta’s family are understandably extremely worried about them and we are working tirelessly to find them.
“We are seriously concerned about them and have significant resources dedicated to the inquiry.”
The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Officers have requested businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review their CCTV footage for the early morning of Tuesday 7 January.
Police added they are keen to hear from anyone with dashcam footage from that time.
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