Police give update on hunt for man who threw coffee on baby
Queensland Police have given a major update as their hunt for a Chinese national accused of throwing a scalding hot coffee over a baby intensifies.
A nationwide manhunt turned into a global one in August 2024 after a man poured hot coffee on a baby in Brisbane's Hanlon Park, leaving him with 'life-changing injuries'.
The baby, called Luka, was rushed to hospital and underwent a number of surgical procedures. He survived, but is expected to carry lifelong scarring as a result.
Police released a photograph of the man who allegedly committed the crime, saying he was a Chinese national. But the man fled the country a short time later.
Speaking on 4BC radio, Queensland Police Service Acting Commissioner Shane Chelepy said that 10 months later, the investigation was 'absolutely' ongoing.
'This was a horrible incident that happened almost a year ago, it struck our investigators pretty hard,' he said.
'I give credit to those investigators, they're still working very hard on this, this isn't something we've parked in the corner, this is a very serious offence, and they're working hard on it.
'What I can say is we're still working with our international partners to progress this matter, and to get a resolution here.'
Mr Chelepy said he did not want to compromise the investigation by giving away too much information, and would not be drawn on whether detectives had travelled to China.
'There are a range of investigative strategies underway, and we're going to keep these strategies at play,' he said.
'I don't want to compromise (the) investigative strategy.' Police have released CCTV footage of the man they want to speak to after coffee was thrown on a baby. Credit: AAP
The man's name has not been released and no other details about his identity have been revealed to the public.
Luka's parents wrote on a GoFundMe page last year about the devastating toll the attack had had on their family.
'It's a long road to recovery when it comes to scar management, but the worst of it is over, and the outcome is far better than we ever imagined from those first few days,' his mum wrote.
'We now only have to attend outpatients once a week, a big improvement from the twice-a-week general anaesthetic surgeries.'
His mother had previously written about how she hoped 'one day justice will be served'.
'This horrific event should have never happened,' she said.
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