THE MOTHER OF a girl who was critically injured in the Parnell Square attack has said she does not feel anger towards Riad Bouchaker.

Her daughter was five years old at the time of the attack in November 2023 and has been left with a life altering disability after she was stabbed by Bouchaker. 

She gave an anonymised interview to Sky News which was broadcast today after Bouchaker was found guilty of the attempted murder of three children. 

Speaking to Sky News’ she said she is not angry towards Bouchaker because “it isn’t going to change anything”.

She said she isn’t sure Bouchaker “even understands what he did”.

“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.”

She believes he must “forgive himself first”. 

As a result of the attack her daughter brain damage due to blood loss and will require lifelong care.

She said she doesn’t know what her daughter would have been as she grew had the attack not happened: “He stole that from her.”

Bouchaker was found guilty on Wednesday afternoon on all eight counts against him.

These included the attempted murder of three children and causing serious harm to crèche worker Leanne Flynn who intervened once the attack began.

He was also found guilty of assault causing harm to two other children and a teenager. 

The jury of nine men and three women began deliberations on Tuesday at the Central Criminal Court. 

Bouchaker had pleaded not guilty to all charges.

During the trial, the jury heard evidence that Bouchaker was upset after failing to secure social welfare payments.

He went to his hostel on Little Britain St in Dublin city centre, armed himself with a 36cm carving knife and walked to Parnell Square where he asked several people for the location of a school.

He waited in the area for about one hour before noticing that 13 primary school students aged five and six were lining up as they prepared to be taken to an after-school crèche. Bouchaker stood at a bus stop in front of the children for one minute and 40 seconds until the only other adult nearby was Flynn.

Bouchaker attacked the children and Flynn until passersby intervened and knocked or dragged him to the ground.