‘The monster that haunts our nightmares’: Child victims of Parnell Square attack tell parents of trauma
Victims and their families shared emotional impact statements during the sentencing hearing for Riad Bouchaker, who was convicted of attempted murder following a 2023 stabbing attack in Dublin. The court heard how the attack permanently altered the lives of the child victims and their families.
Why it matters
The case highlights the long-term trauma inflicted by violent crime and the legal process of seeking justice for victims.
A mother whose young daughter is severely disabled after being stabbed during the attack at Dublin’s Parnell Square said her family’s life has changed “unrecognisably”.
The woman was among five people affected by the attack on November 23rd, 2023, whose victim impact statements were read at the Central Criminal Court .
She and her husband will be caring for their daughter, now aged eight, for the rest of their lives “and we need to be sure she will be looked after when we are gone”.
“Learning about disability has been eye-opening, but I wouldn’t wish this on anyone,” she added.
Her statement was read by Det Garda Shimna Ní Mháirtin during a hearing on Monday to decide the sentence to be imposed on Riad Bouchaker (52), a native of Algeria of no fixed abode who was convicted of eight offences , including the attempted murder of three children.
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