LONDON — A teenager who is accused of throwing a 6-year-old boy off a balcony at the Tate Modern museum in London appeared in court on Tuesday on a charge of attempted murder.

In a five-minute hearing, a magistrate confirmed the teenager’s identity and heard a short statement from prosecutors before referring the case to a higher court, where the accused is scheduled to appear on Thursday. The teenager, who is 17, cannot be identified because of British laws that restrict reporting in cases involving people younger than 18.

Sian Morgan, a prosecutor, told the court on Tuesday that the 6-year-old boy was with his parents on the museum’s 10th-floor viewing platform when he was picked up “in one swift movement” and thrown over the side. He fell around 100 feet, and landed on the fifth-floor roof of the museum, she said.

Ms. Morgan said the boy had suffered “very serious injuries,” including fractures to the spine, legs and arms, and “a deep bleed to the brain.”