Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 4276Attempted murder, assault causing serious harm, assault, production of a knife · Co. Dublin · 23 Nov 2023

Alleged Parnell Square attacker Riad Bouchaker argued unfit to stand trial due to mental disorder

Riad Bouchaker, 51, charged with the attempted murder of three children and assault causing serious harm to a care worker at Parnell Square East on 23 November 2023, was argued by his defence to be unfit to stand trial due to a moderate mental disorder stemming from a brain injury and brain tumour. The hearing before Mr Justice Tony Hunt at the Central Criminal Court was adjourned to 19 January 2026.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court18 Dec
    3 reports
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
52 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatBouchaker is charged with attempted murder of two girls and one boy (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
  • whatHe is charged with assault causing serious harm to a care worker (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
  • whatHe is charged with three counts of assault causing harm to two other young children and a passerby (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
  • whatHe is charged with one count of production of a knife (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
  • whatFour children suffered stab wounds on the day of the incident (irishtimes.com)
  • whatOne of the children had life-altering injuries (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe creche manager suffered a stab wound (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe defence brought an application as to the fitness of Bouchaker to stand trial (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThere was a divergence between two expert witnesses on whether the accused is fit to stand trial (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatCCTV footage showed an attack on a line of children about to progress to their creche (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe creche manager shouted and moved to protect the children but suffered a stab wound (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
  • whatFour children suffered stab wounds that day (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatOne child had life-altering injuries (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatBouchaker was brought to the Mater Hospital where he remained for 28 days (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatNo one is canvassing for the defence of not guilty by reason of insanity (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe incident occurred at Parnell Square East (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe incident occurred at Parnell Square East on the afternoon of 23 November 2023. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whenThe incident took place on the afternoon of 23 November 2023 (irishtimes.com)
  • whenBouchaker was arrested on 20 December 2023 (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe incident took place on the afternoon of November 23, 2023 (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenBouchaker was arrested on December 20, 2023 (irishmirror.ie)
  • causeThe accused suffered a brain injury in the course of members of the public intervening on the day of the alleged offence. (dublinlive.ie)
  • weaponA knife was recovered from the scene (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
  • investigationThe psychiatrist interviewed Bouchaker on five occasions over the last two years (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationBouchaker was arrested on 20 December 2023 and interviewed by gardaí. (dublinlive.ie)
  • chargeBouchaker is charged with attempted murder of two girls and one boy, assault causing serious harm to a care worker, three counts of assault causing harm to two other young children and a passerby, and one count of production of a knife. (dublinlive.ie)
  • courtThe hearing was before the Central Criminal Court (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtMr Justice Tony Hunt presided over the hearing (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtKarl Finnegan SC with Carol Doherty BL were prosecuting (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtA District Court order prohibited naming legal representatives for the accused (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe hearing was adjourned until 19 January 2026 and the accused was remanded in custody. (dublinlive.ie)
  • courtMr Justice Hunt made an order that legal representatives for the accused and the doctors giving evidence were not to be named in media reports. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherHe had surgery on his brain some years before the incident (irishtimes.com)
  • otherHe had a brain injury from a benign tumour some years ago (irishtimes.com)
  • otherBouchaker was brought to Mater hospital where he remained for 28 days (irishtimes.com)
  • otherBouchaker was born in Algiers, Algeria (irishtimes.com)
  • otherHis father suffered from mental health difficulties (irishtimes.com)
  • otherAt the time of the offence he met criteria for mild cognitive impairment (irishtimes.com)
  • otherOn current assessment he has a moderate mental disorder under the Criminal Law Insanity Act 2006 (irishtimes.com)
  • otherHe is unable to plead, understand proceedings, instruct lawyers, mount a defence, understand evidence or challenge a juror (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe accused had surgery for a benign brain tumour in 2021 and a bone flap was removed a few months later due to infection, leaving a section of his skull missing. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherFour children suffered stab wounds that day and one had life-altering injuries. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherThe accused was brought to the Mater Hospital where he remained for 28 days. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherThe psychiatrist interviewed the accused on five occasions over the last two years in the presence of an Arabic interpreter. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherBouchaker told the psychiatrist he was born in Algiers, Algeria, and that his father suffered from mental health difficulties. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherThe accused had a complex medical history including epilepsy, a left temporal lobe brain tumour, and total blindness in his right eye. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherThe psychiatrist found the accused had moderate dementia due to a combination of a brain injury and a brain tumour. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherAt the time of the offence the accused met criteria for mild cognitive impairment but now has a moderate mental disorder as defined in the Criminal Law Insanity Act 2006. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherThe psychiatrist said the accused is unable to plead to the charge, understand the nature and course of proceedings, instruct legal representatives, mount a defence, understand evidence or challenge a juror. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherThe accused was unlikely to improve significantly over time and his only possible destination in the medium-to-long term would be the Central Mental Hospital. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherIf found unfit to stand trial, the accused would be reviewed on a six-month basis by the mental health criminal law review board. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherIt was agreed between the parties that no one is canvassing for the defence of not guilty by reason of insanity. (dublinlive.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 18 Dec2025
    In courtdublinlive.ie, follow-up
    Alleged Parnell Square attacker unfit to stand trial, defence lawyers tell court

    Defence argues Bouchaker is unfit to stand trial; forensic psychiatrist testifies he has moderate dementia from a traumatic brain injury sustained on the day of the offence and a prior brain tumour; hearing adjourned to 19 January 2026 with accused remanded in custody.

    suspect, Riad Bouchaker, 51, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Riad Bouchakervictim, femalevictim, femalevictim, malevictim, female
  2. 18 Dec2025
    In courtirishmirror.ie, follow-up
    Alleged Parnell Square attacker unfit to stand trial, defence lawyers tell court

    Fitness to stand trial hearing; defence expert testifies Bouchaker has moderate dementia from a combination of brain injury and brain tumour, is unable to understand the charges or proceedings; no one is canvassing not guilty by reason of insanity; hearing adjourned to 19 January 2026; remanded in custody.

    suspect, Riad Bouchaker, 51, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Riad Bouchakervictim, femalevictim, femalevictim, malevictim, femalevictimvictimvictim
  3. 18 Dec2025
    In courtirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Man charged with Parnell Square attack on children unfit to stand trial, court told

    Reports on a Central Criminal Court hearing where a consultant forensic psychiatrist testified that Bouchaker suffers from a moderate mental disorder under the Criminal Law Insanity Act 2006 and is unfit to stand trial; the hearing was adjourned to 19 January 2026.

    accused, Riad Bouchaker, 51, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Riad Bouchakervictim, femalevictim, femalevictim, malevictim, female