The mother of a young girl who was nearly stabbed to death outside a school has described her daughter's condition in court. The child, aged five at the time, was seriously injured along with another young girl, a boy, and a creche worker during a stabbing on Dublin's Parnell Square.
Attack and Aftermath
Riad Bouchaker, 52, originally from Algeria, is accused of attempting to murder three children and other charges related to the incident on November 23, 2023. He has denied all charges and claimed he was not in his right mind at the time, according to the Irish Times.
The girl's mother was left uncertain whether her daughter would survive the attack as the youngster underwent emergency surgery following significant blood loss. Her first question to medics after the life-saving operation was, 'Is she dead?'
Her daughter, who cannot be named for legal reasons, suffered a wound to her heart and her brain was deprived of oxygen for approximately 40 minutes. She remained in intensive care for three weeks under heavy sedation while doctors assessed the brain damage.
Recovery and Current Condition
The girl has had to relearn everything during her recovery. Currently, she is non-verbal, uses a wheelchair, and is learning to swallow again. She communicates by blinking to indicate yes or no and relies on medication to sleep.
The mother recounted receiving a tearful call from the creche owner on the day of the stabbing. The owner said, 'Oh my God, oh my God, … has been stabbed, you have to come,' explaining it happened in front of the school.
'I stopped breathing for a second but I kept running and I got there,' the mother told the Central Criminal Court jury. She saw her daughter's pink backpack and pink shoes near the school entrance as emergency workers surrounded her. 'I stopped and let them work because I could not do anything for her at that moment,' she added.
Her daughter had just celebrated her fifth birthday at the time of the attack.
Bouchaker, of no fixed abode, faces charges including attempted murder of two girls and one boy, assault causing serious harm to a care worker, assaulting three people, and possession of a 36cm kitchen knife. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges through an interpreter. The trial continues.
