Parnell Square Attack: Mother of Critically Injured Girl Forgives Riad Bouchaker

The mother of a five-year-old girl critically injured in the November 2023 Parnell Square attack stated she does not feel anger towards Riad Bouchaker, who was found guilty of attempted murder. Her daughter sustained life-altering brain damage due to blood loss and will require lifelong care.

In an anonymised Sky News interview, the mother explained her lack of anger, saying it «isn’t going to change anything» and that she doesn’t believe Bouchaker «even understands what he did.» She added, «I don’t think there’s anything to forgive because I don’t think that anybody in their right state of mind would have done that,» suggesting he must «forgive himself first.» She lamented that Bouchaker «stole» her daughter’s future.

Bouchaker was found guilty on Wednesday afternoon on all eight counts, including the attempted murder of three children and causing serious harm to crèche worker Leanne Flynn, who intervened. He was also convicted of assault causing harm to two other children and a teenager. The jury of nine men and three women deliberated at the Central Criminal Court after hearing evidence that Bouchaker was upset over failed social welfare payments. He armed himself with a 36cm carving knife, sought a school’s location, and waited an hour at Parnell Square before attacking 13 primary school students and Flynn.