Sentencing hearing under way for Riad Bouchaker

A sentencing hearing is currently in progress for Riad Bouchaker, who has been found guilty of attempting to murder three children in Dublin on November 23, 2023. Bouchaker was also convicted of stabbing childcare worker Leanne Flynn while she tried to protect the children and assaulting two other children and a teenager who took the knife from him.

The five-year-old girl who was stabbed in the heart has suffered a severe, life-long brain injury as a result of the attack. Bouchaker, originally from Algeria but living in Ireland for 25 years and holding Irish citizenship, was armed with a 36cm kitchen knife when he approached the children outside a school in Parnell Square. He waited for the children to line up outside the Gaelscoil, a primary school, before beginning his violent attack.

Gardaí concluded that Bouchaker intended to kill the children, and the attack lasted only 15 seconds, causing catastrophic damage. The most seriously injured girl suffered a heart injury and brain damage, requiring 24-hour care for the rest of her life. Another victim, Leanne Flynn, was stabbed in the side while attempting to protect the children and now suffers from collapsed lungs, injuries to her diaphragm and stomach, and had to have her spleen removed.

The court heard of other injuries sustained by the children, including a six-year-old who had a knife wound to her head and a boy who had a laceration to his neck. The court will also hear victim impact statements from the injured children's parents, Ms Flynn, and Alain Lorena Guille, a young chef who grabbed the knife from Bouchaker.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt stated that he would not impose the sentence today, with Bouchaker's sentence expected to be finalized within a few weeks. The judge warned that anyone who identifies any of the injured children could face severe consequences.