Teenager arrested for attempted murder of child at Tate Modern
A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a six-year-old boy was thrown from the 10th-floor viewing platform at the Tate Modern, the Metropolitan police have said.
The child was taken to hospital by the air ambulance after being found on a fifth-floor roof and is in a critical condition, the Met said.
A 17-year-old boy remained with members of the public on the viewing platform and was arrested by police officers on suspicion of attempted murder and taken into custody.
“There is nothing to suggest that he is known to the victim,” the Met said. The mental health of the suspect is one line of inquiry, although he was at least initially detained in a police cell.
The six-year-old boy was with family members at the world-famous art gallery with witnesses reportedly hearing his mother shout “my son, that’s my son” as he fell five floors. The family are being supported by police.
Visitors to the gallery said they were kept inside as officers dealt with the incident, while others posted images of firefighters and the air ambulance outside the gallery on the South Bank in central London.
The Met said: “A teenager has been arrested after a child was thrown from height in Southwark.
“Police were called at around 2:40pm on Sunday, 4 August, to reports of a young boy thrown from the 10th-floor viewing platform of the Tate Modern in Bankside SE1.
“Officers attended along with colleagues from London ambulance service and London’s air ambulance.
“The six-year-old victim was found on a fifth-floor roof. He was treated at the scene and taken to hospital by London’s air ambulance. The boy’s condition is critical; his family are being supported by police.
“A number of members of the public are assisting police with witness statements. Visitors to the gallery have been allowed to leave.”
The Tate Modern was the UK’s most popular tourist attraction in 2018 after being visited 5.9m times, according to the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, and would likely have had thousands of visitors on Sunday.
A BBC journalist, Jonny Dymond, who was in the gallery at the time, said visitors were sent to the main hall while all exits were closed.
He told reporters: “There were quite a lot of families with children, and security guards told us we couldn’t leave. There was at least two fire engines, 10 police cars and an incident control unit. Parts of the exterior of the building were taped off.”
Greg Ritchie posted images on Twitter of the air ambulance landed outside the western entrance to the Turbine Hall area of the gallery.
Another witness, using the Twitter handle Ms O’Mahuncy, posted a video recorded from within the gallery of the air ambulance taking off. She later posted that visitors had been told they could leave.
A London ambulance service spokesman said that after they were called at 2.40pm two ambulance crews were sent to the scene, along with the hazardous area response team and the air ambulance.
“We treated a person at the scene and took them to hospital as a priority,” the spokesman said.
A sign placed outside the gallery confirmed it would be closed for the rest of Sunday and a spokeswoman said:
“Tate is working closely with the police to help with their investigations. All our thoughts are with the child and his family.”