Sentencing set for man convicted of attempting to murder three children in Dublin

Riad Bouchaker, a 52-year-old man with no fixed abode, will face sentencing on Monday after a jury found him guilty of eight charges stemming from a violent incident at Dublin’s Parnell Square on 23 November 2023. The convictions include attempted murder of three children - a five-year-old girl who now requires round-the-clock care due to severe brain damage, another five-year-old girl who underwent scalp surgery, and a six-year-old boy who received minor neck stitches.

Bouchaker also intentionally harmed childcare worker Leanne Flynn, who was stabbed while protecting the children, and caused minor injuries to French teenage chef Alan Lorena Guille. He was additionally found guilty of producing a 36 cm knife capable of serious injury. Judge Tony Hunt will first hear statements from the victims before delivering a sentence. A prior hearing saw two psychiatrists disagree on Bouchaker’s fitness to plead, but the judge concluded he was fit to stand trial with an interpreter and intermediary.