An international manhunt has been launched for a man wanted in connection with a “cowardly” attack that saw a nine-month-old child doused in scolding hot coffee in Australia.
A suspect emptied a thermos flask over the baby – named as Luka – while the youngster was enjoying a picnic with his parents in Hanlon Park, Brisbane, on 27 August, police said.
Luka was left with serious injuries and was forced to undergo four surgeries and multiple skin grafts, his heartbroken mother told Australian media.
Queensland Police has now released footage of a man – believed to have boarded a flight out of Sydney airport four days after the attack – fleeing the park in a plaid shirt and cargo shorts.
The force added that the man must have been “aware of police methodologies” and had conducted counter-surveillance to escape the country as more than 30 detectives rush to find him.
Luka’s mother said she had been left with panic attacks and anxiety about being in public with her son and had no idea who the attacker was.
“It sounds like they were very, very close to catching him. This obviously means that we’re going to have to wait who knows how long to get justice for our son – it’s heartbreaking,” she said.
“I will always have fear and anxiety being out in public with my son. It’s affected my mental health for the rest of my life.”
Detective Inspector Paul Dalton described the case as one of the “most complex and frustrating” he had ever investigated.
Although police now know the suspect’s name and destination, they have refrained from sharing further details to avoid jeopardising the ongoing search.
Police did confirm that the suspect, who has been described as an itinerant worker, had travelled back and forth to Australia several times since 2019 and has lived in both New South Wales and Victoria.
It took detectives five days for police to identify the individual who carried out what they described as a “cowardly” act.
“He was aware of what we do to find people. I was in the investigation centre when we put a name to the face, only for us to do a check-in 15 minutes and find out we’ve lost him,’ Det Insp Dalton said.
The parents said Luka was in good spirits following the attack, but may take years to recover from the injuries he sustained.