Six years after a horrific attack at the Tate Modern in London, during which he was thrown from the 10th floor, an unnamed French boy, now 12, has achieved remarkable progress in his recovery. His family, who affectionately call him their “little knight,” revealed that he can now run, jump, and swim limited distances. This incredible milestone marks a significant step forward from the initial fears that he would be permanently reliant on a wheelchair following the life-changing injuries sustained in August 2019, which included bleeding on the brain and broken bones from the 30-meter fall.

The boy’s journey continues with an upcoming operation early next year, which will require him to be immobilized for two months. However, doctors are optimistic that this procedure will lead to even greater movement. His family noted that his memory is also improving, and he is gaining “cognitive endurance.” This summer, he even enjoyed a mountain holiday with children who didn’t speak French, allowing him to practice his English and playfully act as a French teacher.

His rehabilitation is intensive, involving 10 separate therapy sessions each week, including work with a psychomotor therapist to address muscle tension on his left side. The family is actively searching for a new school that can accommodate his full curriculum alongside his extensive therapy schedule, a decision that will necessitate another family move to ensure his continued progress. A fundraising page established after the attack has gathered over £477,000, underscoring the widespread support for his recovery.

Meanwhile, the assailant, Jonty Bravery, who was 17 at the time of the attack, is serving a minimum 15-year jail term for the attempted murder of the boy. A serious case review into Bravery, seen by the PA Media news agency, has shed light on critical failures in his care leading up to the incident. Despite a documented history of violent behavior—including assaulting police, a restaurant worker, hitting support staff with a brick, and making threats to kill—Bravery was not deemed a risk to unknown individuals at the time of the Tate Modern attack. This assessment led to him being granted increasing freedoms, which ultimately allowed him to travel unaccompanied to central London on the day of the incident.

The review highlighted a concerning “lack of services, placements and provisions” suitable for a young person with autism and a coexisting conduct disorder diagnosis. Bravery was diagnosed with autism at age five, but there was a significant “lack of join-up between different elements of support” provided to him and his family. He was not known to children’s social care or child and adolescent mental health services (Camhs) until more than a decade later. Professionals working with Bravery often misinterpreted his threats to harm others as mere “attention-seeking behaviour,” attributing them solely to his autistic traits without considering the implications of his conduct disorder. This “mismatch between [Bravery’s] needs and available provision” persisted throughout his case, despite his escalating troubling behavior from age 15, which saw him moved between various psychiatric intensive care units, specialist residential schools, and hotels.