The mother of a severely burned baby has revealed her biggest fear, saying she is suffering panic attacks as a stranger who poured scalding coffee on her nine-month-old son remains at large.
The baby, Luka, underwent a second round of surgery on Friday after suffering burns to his face and body in the “cowardly” and random attack in a Brisbane park.
His parents have not left his side in hospital since the incident at Hanlon Park in Stones Corner on Tuesday as police hunt for the man.
“Last night I had a panic attack, thinking I was going to hurt someone else because I was out there,” the mother said.
“If he could do this to an innocent baby, he could do much worse things to her. I don’t want anyone to suffer any more harm.”
The boy had walked unaided for the first time just hours before he suffered a burn during a picnic in the park, his parents said.
“He seems happy again, which is nice to see because the last few days have been very, very difficult,” the mother told reporters, fighting back tears.
“He’s doing well. He’s really playing.”
The mother of a severely burned baby has revealed her biggest fear, saying she is having panic attacks as a stranger who poured scalding coffee on her nine-month-old son remains at large.
Police are still looking for a man (pictured) they want to speak to in connection with a baby being burned by hot coffee.
The woman said she was still in shock over the incident and was afraid it would happen again.
“I repeat it in my head constantly,” he said.
Police are hoping someone will recognise a man in the enhanced images they have released.
“Please, if you know this man, come closer,” the mother said.
The boy’s father described the horrific moment he was told his son had suffered severe burns.
She was at a shopping centre with her daughter when she called her partner after realising she had missed several calls.
“I knew straight away something was wrong. I called her on the car speaker,” he told Network Ten’s The Project.
‘My daughter… was in the car and it came on Bluetooth and she heard everything.’
The father revealed that when his daughter saw her brother in the emergency room, she said, “I hope the bad guy doesn’t hurt me.”
The boy remains hospitalized in stable condition and is likely to undergo another surgery next week.
“We were told that the burns on the sides of the face, lower arms and legs should be superficial and that they will all heal properly,” the father said.
The full extent of his other burns will not be known until after the final surgery.
The boy has burns to his chin, neck, face, chest and back that are considered ‘more serious’.
The mother of a severely burned baby (pictured) has revealed her biggest fear and said she is having panic attacks as a stranger who poured scalding coffee on her nine-month-old son remains at large.
The mother was hoping to thank the nurse who helped her at the park by taking her son to her nearby apartment to place him in the shower after passersby poured cold water on the baby.
TO GoFundMe The baby’s page had raised nearly $95,000 as of Friday night.
“This has restored my faith in the community and there is goodness there,” the mother said.
GoFundMe organiser Zara Mazza said: “This was a cruel and random attack on my friend’s baby. She does not deserve this pain and suffering.”
The man police want to speak to was wearing glasses, a light blue shirt, light-colored shorts and a black hat.
He is believed to be between 30 and 40 years old, with a proportionate build and tanned skin.
Luka’s parents are now anxiously waiting for his attacker to be caught.
“I want this man caught and charged. He’s on the loose,” his mother told police. Brisbane weather.
“I’m anxious and worried that he’ll hurt someone else or us again.”
She and her friend were in the park with their babies for just 10 minutes when the unknown man approached.
“If anyone has any footage of that area or who knows him, or lives next door to him, or anything like that, please come forward,” the mother said.
The man police want to speak to was wearing glasses, a light blue shirt, light-colored shorts and a black hat.
The boy had walked unaided for the first time just hours before he was burned at a picnic in the park, his parents said.
Luka’s parents are now anxiously waiting for his attacker to be caught.
Detective Inspector Paul Dalton He called the attack “cruel and cowardly” and “completely unprovoked.”
“When you look at the circumstances, particularly for us as parents, walking through a park on a beautiful winter’s day in Brisbane, enjoying time with your baby… to be approached like that and attacked in this way must be terrifying,” Dalton said.
‘In the 35 years I’ve been working as a police officer, I’ve never come across a job where a child this young, in these circumstances, has been attacked. It shouldn’t happen.
‘Everyone has the right to feel safe in our community.
“This type of behavior will not be tolerated and we have devoted every resource we possibly can (save) at this stage to holding this individual accountable.”
Inspector Dalton also assured Brisbane parents that his officers are “working around the clock” to find the perpetrator.
The Child Protection and Investigation Unit is assisting in the search.
Anyone who recognises the man or has any information that could assist inquiries is urged to contact Policelink on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers.