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The identity of a Chinese national suspected of pouring hot coffee on a baby in a park has been revealed, as police reveal the child will be injured for life due to the horrific attack.
Nine-month-old Luka was on a picnic with his mother in Hanlon Park, in Brisbane’s inner south-east, when the man approached them around midday on August 27 and poured the thermos of boiling coffee over the child before flee.
The baby suffered life-threatening burns to his face, upper body and arms and underwent four operations at Queensland Children’s Hospital.
Police obtained a warrant for the man’s arrest for acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The man drove to New South Wales a day after the alleged attack before flying out of the country from Sydney on August 31.
Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Andrew Massingham told 4BC that the suspect’s name had been reported by Chinese media.
Police said the 33-year-old had no family or criminal record in Australia and had worked in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.
Daily Mail Australia understands he had been on a holiday visa since he first arrived in Australia in 2019, before switching to a student visa.
He was reportedly born in Hangzhou, China.
Police released this image of a man they wish to speak to in relation to the incident last week.
“Our international search continues for the person who committed this horrendous crime… we are very committed to finding the individual responsible,” Mr Massingham said.
“That child will have those injuries for life.”
Detective Inspector Paul Dalton said the man fled the country just 12 hours after he was identified.
“I was at the research center when we put a name on the face and it was a very happy room, only for us to do a check within 15 minutes and find out we’d lost it,” he said.
‘We have 30 detectives working for me. They are devastated that they have not seen this person for 12 hours.
“I felt deflated, but that deflation quickly turns into determination and resilience to get the job done.”
The baby’s mother said it was some relief that the alleged attacker was no longer in Australia.
“I had no idea where this person was, I didn’t want to leave this hospital because it became our safe space,” she said.
‘When I returned home I had panic attacks and I still have them.
“I am relieved that he is not in this country, in a sense, but I will always have fear and anxiety being in public with my son – it has affected my mental health for the rest of my life.”
The boy’s father believed police had done everything they could to find the man, but the mother wanted answers.
“I just want to know why, why did he do this,” he said.
“These are questions that can always be left unanswered.”
Inspector Dalton said he was still scratching his head over a possible motive.
‘There are not many investigations in which a clear motive is not found. It’s strange,’ he said.
Asked what his message to the man would be, Inspector Dalton said: “We will keep going until we find him – I haven’t lost that determination.”
The parents said their son was in good spirits but could take years to recover.
A GoFundMe page for the boy has so far raised more than $150,000.
The baby’s mother (pictured with her son) suffers panic attacks instead of the attack.
