Little Girl Communicates By Blinking Only, After Accused Man is Said To Have St***ed Her Over a Social Welfare Grievance The trial of Riad Bouchaker (52) has commenced at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin regarding the November 2023 knife attack at Parnell Square. The prosecution alleges Bouchaker intended to kill two girls and a boy. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial is expected to last five weeks. Victim and Witness Testimony The Mother’s Evidence The mother of the most severely injured girl—now aged nearly 8, but 5 at the time—testified that her daughter is now non-verbal, uses a wheelchair, and communicates only by blinking "yes" or "no." On the day of the attack, the mother, who works in the city centre, almost stayed home sick. At 1:45 PM, she received a frantic phone call from the crèche owner stating her daughter had been stabbed. She ran toward the school, bypassing cordons at the O'Connell Street Spire where emergency services had gathered. At the scene, she witnessed five paramedics treating her daughter, identifying her by her pink backpack and runners. Her daughter was rushed to Temple Street Hospital for emergency heart surgery. Due to a 40-minute deprivation of oxygen, the child suffered severe brain damage and now has dystonia, a condition causing involuntary muscle reactions that prevents her from doing anything independently. Emergency Interventions Leanne Flynn (Crèche Worker): Intervened after seeing Bouchaker approach the children with a knife. She bravely grabbed him from behind and shouted at him to get away before realising she had sustained a large laceration to her left side. French Citizen: Crossed the road to intervene, grabbed Bouchaker's hand, and threw the knife away, sustaining a cut to his hand and a scratch to his face. Emergency Personnel: A flagged-down critical care technician performed CPR on the most severely injured girl, who had no pulse and was not breathing at the scene. Another young girl sustained blood matted in her hair and bone fragments near the crown of her head. Prosecution and Garda Interviews: Prosecuting counsel Karl Finnegan stated that intent is proven through actions. He asked the jury to consider Bouchaker's selection of young children, his focus on upper body, neck, chest, and head areas, his repeated stabbing motions, his prior movements, and the necessity of public intervention. Bouchaker underwent brain surgery in 2021 and sustained further injuries during the public intervention, delaying his Garda interviews by a month. During interviews, Bouchaker made repeated stabbing motions but maintained he did not intend to kill or harm children. He claimed he was "sick," "not in his right state of mind," and had made a "mistake." He stated he found himself with a knife after throwing something away and was deeply upset by a social welfare application refusal letter. Trial Modifications and Legal Rulings Judge Hunt issued several directives and logistical updates for the trial: Fitness to Stand Trial: The judge ruled Bouchaker fit to stand trial, clarifying there is no evidence of a mental disorder that would support a special mental health defense. The only available verdicts are "guilty" or "not guilty." Acquired Brain Injury & Accommodations: Due to a head injury sustained during his arrest, Bouchaker has an acquired brain injury causing a short attention span. The court will accommodate him with shorter sessions, an interpreter, and an intermediary. Jury Instructions: The judge urged the jury to remain objective, noting that the civil unrest following the 2023 attack is irrelevant to the trial. Children may give evidence remotely or behind screens. Defense Team Reporting Restrictions: Media restrictions remain in place prohibiting the naming of Bouchaker’s legal team due to security concerns stemming from the 2023 Dublin riots.

Rory McIlroy on Kristoffer Reitan’s win last week🗣️ “I think it’s amazing. I also think it speaks to the incredible pathway that DP World Tour players have to earn one of those 10 cards. Get your @PGATOUR card and play your way into the signature events. “It’s the system working, it’s the meritocracy, the upward trajectory you can get on when you play well. Kristoffer last week is a prime example. It was amazing. “All the Europeans up there around the lead, that’s amazing too - Nicolai, Alex, Tommy. “I think again it just speaks to that incredible pathway for DP World Tour players. It’s a wonderful opportunity for them. “For Kristoffer to come over here and cement himself as a PGA TOUR winner at arguably one of the biggest events, and then for him to go back and play DP World Tour events until the end of the year when the PGA TOUR season finishes in August, that brings more attention and excitement to those tournaments. “I think it’s an amazing thing.” #PGAChamp

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