Everyone wants to be famous.
Some try to be rockstars, some doing crazy things on Instagram for likes, will others aim to make groundbreaking discoveries in science.
This man, however, took a slightly different and more sociopathic approach.
Teenager Threw 6YO Child From 10th-floor Balcony Because He Wanted To Be “On The News”
A teenager in London threw a six-year-old boy from the 10th-floor viewing platform of a London art gallery because he wanted to make the news, he told police.
18-year-old Jonty Bravery pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of a child at the Old Bailey Court in London on Friday (Dec 10).
So, what happened?
Victim was visitor from France
On August 4, the inaptly-named Bravery was arrested after he threw a young boy from the viewing platform at the Tate Modern gallery.
According to Newsweek, the six-year-old victim was visiting London from France with his family. He was later found on a fifth-floor roof with extremely serious injuries.
After Bravery was arrested, he told police that he threw the boy because he hoped that it would raise awareness of his treatment for autism.
Here are some ways he could have raised awareness instead:
- Start a support group
- Start a Facebook group
- Host a social event
- Start a social media campaign
But no, he chose to almost kill a child to ‘raise awareness’. Surely, he should be able to see that people would find it hard to look past his misdeed and talk about autism?
He was adamant that his motivation was justified, however.
“I wanted to be on the news, who I am and why I did it, so when it is official no-one can say anything else,” Bravery told police.
Apparently, Bravery also has obsessive-compulsive disorder and is believed to also have a personality disorder. He told police that he had to prove a point to those who claimed he didn’t have any mental health issues.
He claimed he heard voices that told him to hurt or kill people.
I understand that you want people to take your mental illness seriously, but surely there are ways to do it that don’t involve attempted murder? Call me old-fashioned.
A trial had been set for February next year, but will now be avoided after Bravery pleaded guilty. He will be sentenced on February 17.
Life “stopped” for the boy’s family
The family of the injured boy issued a statement saying life “stopped” for them on the day their child was attacked.
The boy spent weeks in hospital in the U.K. before he was able to return to France in September.
He is still in the hospital but is showing signs of improvement in his communication and movement.
Still, things are tough at the moment.
“Our son still needs intensive rehabilitation since he hasn’t recovered mobility in all limbs or cognitive capacities. He is constantly awoken by pain and he can’t communicate that pain or call out to hospital staff,” the family said in a statement.
“Life stopped for us four months ago. We don’t know when, or even if, we will be able to return to work, or return to our home, which is not adapted for a wheelchair.”
You really have to feel for the boy and his family. He nearly died all because Bravery wanted to be on the news.
“We are exhausted, we don’t know where this all leads, but we go on. We wish to thank all of the people, family, and friends who have supported us throughout this horrific experience”, they added.
The motive remains “unclear”
Despite Bravery’s admission, Detective Chief Inspector John Massey said that his motive behind the attack remains “unclear”.
“However, what is clear is the damage that has been done to this family, who have remained courageous and dignified in the face of such trauma, in addition to widespread media coverage of the incident”, Massey said.
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He added that due to Bravery’s guilty plea, the victim’s family had “been spared the trauma of a trial and can now focus on their son’s care and rehabilitation.”
This case is a tough one to judge. On the one hand, you could argue that Bravery was fully aware of his actions and that he should be punished because he attempted murder for a specific goal.
Conversely, if someone believes that it’s OK to throw a boy from the tenth-floor to raise awareness for something, then clearly he is mentally ill, and we have to question the extent to which he should be accountable for his actions.
Either way, we hope that the boy makes a full recovery soon.
