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Original poster

Child thrown from 10th floor at Tate Modern

241 replies

ineedaholidaynow · 04/08/2019 20:40

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-47214207

Who would do something like this? Scary.

OP posts:
HennyPennyHorror · 04/08/2019 22:57

Sarcell I done think it's helpful to speculate about 'dares' at a time like this. That's how they begin. Why would you think it's a dare? If there'd been 2 or 3 other incidents like this then you might say that...but there hasn't.

GettickledGETTICKLEDbyspiders · 04/08/2019 23:02

I thought the same. Like the happy slapping years ago - but a million times worse and with tragic consequences.

HennyPennyHorror · 04/08/2019 23:05

Gettickled WHY would you think that though? Confused This is one, freak incident....there haven't been others.

GettickledGETTICKLEDbyspiders · 04/08/2019 23:07

I don’t know why I think that. I hope I am wrong. I guess it’s made my anxiety unbearable that I am so scared it will happen again rather than if it’s a one off.
I don’t think I have explained what I mean that well I hope you understand kind of?

GettickledGETTICKLEDbyspiders · 04/08/2019 23:08

I guess it’s the fear of it happening again scares me. I just hope the boy is ok. My son is the same age so it’s terrifying.

kateandme · 04/08/2019 23:10

origamiunicorn yep right after hher husband came on twitter to call out the creepy lad who wa following his wife and kid inside.and she was really uncomfrotable with him behind her. he was quickly told to take it down as it might be part of the investigation.im not sure how truthful it was or just some horrid troll on the event but fits with what you just said.

HennyPennyHorror · 04/08/2019 23:11

Well it's unhelpful to even mention things like dares or crazes because all it takes is one weirdo to read that and think "Yeah....I bet I could start something like that..." This is one incident. One.

GettickledGETTICKLEDbyspiders · 04/08/2019 23:14

It’s only a suggestion, other people have mentioned other reasons why it may have happened like mental illness. Everyone’s just trying to make sense of a horrible situation and we can’t.

compulsiveliar2019 · 04/08/2019 23:17

It's just awful! Can't stop thinking about that poor child and their family.

Looking at the pictures of the building it looks like it's steeply slopped rather than a sheer vertical drop? I do wonder/hope/pray that somehow this will have lessened the impact of the fall?

I really hope he pulls through.

Justaboy · 04/08/2019 23:18

Well it looks as if the part he fell from is sloped a bit that will reduce the speed of the fall as he will have slid and or bumped on that surface anything that takes the energy out of the fall itself is a good thing;!

Anyway down now to the skills of the medics involved, gods sills to their arm!..

Justaboy · 04/08/2019 23:18

Skills! sorry!.

NutellaQuest · 04/08/2019 23:19

This story is horrific. Brought me out in a sweat as I have a child of a similar age. Also the German railway incident.

I took my child to the Tate Modern, aged about 3 or 4, and held tight when we went out onto the viewing platform. I felt very uncomfortable because the railings are at the edge of a sheer drop from a great height. It felt very unsafe to me.

My thoughts are with the boy and his family and I am praying that he survives.

HennyPennyHorror · 04/08/2019 23:22

I wonder why there's no mesh or netting at the opening? When I lived on the 17th floor of a big block in London, the balconies all had netting over them.

Rystall · 04/08/2019 23:32

@NutellaQuest... I agree. These two stories ( Tate & German train incident) are just so horrific and chilling. Mothers with their little children, minding their babies, having this horror visited upon them. It’s just so disturbing. Those poor little children. There are no words. It’s too late for that poor poor child in Frankfurt. Please God the child in London survives.

NutellaQuest · 04/08/2019 23:33

Would be interesting to hear the architect's thoughts, or planners, on why they thought it was acceptable.

HennyPennyHorror · 04/08/2019 23:37

Nutella I think it's quite a common thing isn't it...open balconies. But there's no need really....a grill or mesh would still allow people to see the view and feel the breeze.

RosaWaiting · 04/08/2019 23:38

Nutella what do you mean? It’s not low is it?

There was a lot of controversy about the viewing platform because if the flats opposite but I’m not aware of a safety issue. I’ve seen it but haven’t been out in it.

I live in a high rise. No one has netting on the balcony unless they’ve had pigeon problems. This isn’t a safety issue, if someone was determined to commit a crime like this, they would simply find somewhere else.

HennyPennyHorror · 04/08/2019 23:39

Rosa but more netting might mean less tragedy. Someone who is going to throw someone like this will possibly find somewhere else but if there'd been netting there yesterday, then this would not have happened.

Soola · 04/08/2019 23:40

Perfectly safe unless there is a deliberate act of climbing over and leaping off or someone lifting you up and pushing you.

Thousands of people have visited and enjoyed the view.

RosaWaiting · 04/08/2019 23:41

Henny, after this, maybe, but I don’t think it’s fair to blame planners for not anticipating this.

HennyPennyHorror · 04/08/2019 23:45

Rosa I don't know about that. It's literally their job to think about risk and avoid it. My friend's a sculptor....making many pieces of public art. Everything she does is carefully considered. Holes in her metal pieces must be of a certain diameter to avoid finger entrapment, balance and weight...I think it IS fair to ask why they didn't put something in place across that huge, open space.

AbbyNormal · 04/08/2019 23:47

That poor boy and his family. I read about this about an hour ago while catching up on the news and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. A random act of total evil while this innocent boy was enjoying his day out. How can a 17yr old, or anyone for that matter, do such a thing?

I hadn't heard about the incident in Germany until reading this thread. How utterly heartbreaking.

Whosorrynow · 04/08/2019 23:51

This is unspeakable barbarism and depravity, I find it hard to even take it in

Butterymuffin · 04/08/2019 23:51

My first thought was that it would be a sibling or other family member. However the reports say there appears to be no prior relationship between the victim and the pusher. It's horrific either way but there is something very scary about a random stranger just doing this to a child.

Epanoui · 04/08/2019 23:53

The balcony is about chest height on a normal adult. Low enough to see over easily for anyone of a normal height, high enough to mean you absolutely could not fall accidentally even if you were very tall indeed. I don't think it's the architect's job to assume that there are nutters who would throw a child off a balcony wandering around. This type of incident is rare, thankfully. It is unbelievably horrible but absolutely not the fault of the architect or the Tate.

It doesn't feel like a huge open space. I don't like heights at all but did not find it scary as the barrier feels substantial and high.

Holes in public art are a bit different as you can absolutely assume with reasonable confidence that there are curious children (or even adults) wandering about who might just go 'will my finger fit'.