KIIS FM radio host Kyle Sandilands has criticised police’s description of a man accused of throwing coffee at a nine-month-old baby in a Brisbane park.
Baby Luka was on a picnic with his mother at Hanlon Park in Brisbane’s south-east when the man allegedly approached them around midday on August 27 and poured a thermos of boiling coffee over the baby before fleeing.
Queensland police have identified the foreign national but he has since fled overseas.
Talking about the Kyle and Jackie O On Tuesday’s show, Kyle criticized authorities’ vague and “woke” description of the man, who was reported to be in his 30s or 40s and had a proportionate build with tanned skin.
The 53-year-old radio host suggested using more detailed characteristics in an attempt to help the public identify the alleged perpetrator.
“How is it possible that this Chinese man in Brisbane who poured hot water on a baby and nearly burned him to death is being hunted down?” Kyle fumed.
‘No one said they were looking for an Asian man, they just said “the man fled the scene”!
“If there’s a manhunt going on, give us the description for the love of God.”
Kyle Sandilands has criticised police for describing a man accused of throwing coffee on a nine-month-old baby in a Brisbane park
Kyle added that listeners would not know how to identify the man if they only tuned into the radio for a description.
“We have to be careful: if there is persecution, we cannot be so stupid as a society and not say whether they are white, black, tall, thin or fat. That is ridiculous,” he continued.
The baby suffered life-threatening burns to his face, upper body and arms and underwent four operations at Queensland Children’s Hospital.
Queensland police raised fears last week that the man may have travelled interstate or overseas before confirming on Monday that he had fled the country.
The 33-year-old was in New South Wales on August 28 before flying out of Sydney Airport on August 31 using his own passport, just 12 hours before police confirmed his identity.
A warrant has since been obtained for his arrest for grievous bodily harm, which carries a possible sentence of life in prison.
Detective Inspector Paul Dalton, who described the incident as a “savage attack” with no apparent motive, said the defendant “was aware of policing methodologies” and had been “carrying out counter-surveillance activities”.
“This is probably one of the most complex and sometimes frustrating investigations I have ever had to participate in and lead,” he told reporters.
A man accused of throwing coffee at a nine-month-old baby in a Brisbane park has fled overseas and police have issued a warrant for his arrest.
The baby suffered life-threatening burns to his face, upper body and arms.
The mother and father of baby Luka said they were “devastated” to learn the man had fled.
“It looks like they were very, very close to catching him, and this obviously means we’re going to have to wait who knows how long to get justice for our son,” she told ABC.
“So it’s a little heartbreaking.”
The mother, who asked to remain anonymous, said she had been living in “fear” since it happened and did not want to leave the hospital because “it became our safe space.”
“When I came home I had panic attacks and I still do. In a way I’m relieved that he’s not in this country, but I will always be afraid and anxious about being in public with my son,” she said.
“It has affected my mental health for the rest of my life.”
Detective Inspector Dalton said the man was clearly “aware of what we (the police) do to find people” and that officers’ efforts had been thwarted when they were initially given the wrong name.
“It wasn’t until September 1 that we were able to put a name to the face on CCTV,” he said.
Detective Inspector Paul Dalton (pictured), who described the incident as a “savage attack”, said the defendant “was aware of policing methodologies” and had been “conducting counter-surveillance activities”.
Even at that stage, we probably didn’t have enough evidence to get a warrant.
“We have since been in New South Wales and Victoria to gather that information and the order has been granted.”
Detective Inspector Dalton said he knew which country the man had fled to but could not share that information while the investigation was still ongoing.
He said the man had been entering and leaving Australia since 2019 and had acted “legally” each time.
“We can’t find any adverse evidence about him in Australia,” Detective Inspector Dalton said.
He said the man was in the country on a visa and had addresses “on the other side of the east coast” but not in Queensland.
The defendant had been a “roving” worker in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria and police had interviewed some of his former colleagues.
Detective Inspector Dalton said the attack was the “most cowardly” he had witnessed in his career.
“A young mother and a baby are sitting on the ground and you are supposedly approaching them from behind,” he said.
Baby Luka has undergone four surgeries following the sickening unprovoked attack
Inspector Dalton said the attack was the “most cowardly” he had witnessed in his career. Pictured: the suspect, who has now fled abroad
“Can you think of anything more vulnerable than that? And how to take advantage of it? You’re probably right, it’s one of the most disgusting cases I’ve ever seen.”
Detective Inspector Dalton vowed he would stop at nothing to catch the man.
“I have 30 detectives working for me. They are devastated that they didn’t find this person for 12 hours,” he said.
“I think only the family would be more upset about it.”
Detective Inspector Dalton encouraged anyone with information to come forward.
“People can feel safe now that this person has fled Australia and can report to police,” he said.
“I encourage them to do so. We will not judge them in any way.”
The man is described as being between 30 and 40 years old, with a well-proportioned build and tanned skin.
At the time of the attack he was wearing a black hat, glasses, a T-shirt and shorts.
Police have traced his movements after the attack to the Brisbane suburb of Tarragindi, where he changed clothes outside a church.
He then took a rideshare into central Brisbane, before moving to Caxton Street, where the trail went cold.