Crime expert's grim admission about international manhunt for coward who threw scalding coffee on a baby in a Brisbane park
The mother of a baby who had scalding coffee poured over him in a public park is struggling to leave the house since the attack as a crime expert warned that the perpetrator may never face justice.
The mother of a baby who had scalding coffee poured over him in a public park is struggling to leave the house since the attack as a crime expert warned that the perpetrator may never face justice.
Nine-month-old Luka had been on a picnic with his mother in Hanlon Park, Brisbane, when the man approached them at about midday on August 27.
Luka has undergone seven surgeries since the random attack three weeks ago.
He has been left with severe burns to his chest, neck and face after a full thermos of near-boiling coffee was allegedly poured over him by a foreign national who immediately fled the scene.
His mother, who cant be named for legal reasons says that her life will never be the same again and that she still struggles to leave the house.
I went out by myself yesterday for the first time since, to do something for me… and I was just having a panic attack and upset the whole time, she told ABC.
Luka might not remember, but we all certainly will.
A specialist in international law at Australian National University, Professor Donald Rothwell, told the publication that the 33-year-old suspect may be difficult to locate after he fled the country within days of the incident.
The mother of a baby who had a scalding how thermos of coffee poured over him has said that she now struggles to leave the house without having a panic attack
Nine-month-old Luka had been on a picnic with his mother in Hanlon Park, Brisbane , when the man approached them at about midday on August 27
The main suspect, a 33-year-old foreign national, was able to flee the country on August 30
Professor Rothwell warned that the case may never be resolved because the foreign national flew out of Sydney Airport the day before police identified him on August 31.
If someone doesnt want to be found — and often they dont want to be found because theyve fled Australia, because they are a suspect or a fugitive in this type of matter — they can also be very difficult to locate, Professor Rothwell said.
He added that unless the man voluntarily hands himself in then, there could be nothing investigators can do to have him extradited back to Queensland.
Professor Rothwell added that numerous factors such as the mans notoriety and his current location might become obstacles to the legal and a political process that needs to be followed.
The extradition process could be challenging and lengthy for police, he added.
If the suspect has fled to a country that does not have an extradition treaty with Australia, this also could create an additional set of challenges.
As the manhunt for perpetrator continues, Lukas mum revealed that the familys lives have been changed forever.
Luka suffered life-threatening injuries and remains in Queensland Childrens Hospital.
His mother said that the recovery has been complicated because of his young age.
Doctors told his family that if the same thing happened to an adult, they would have been able to offer skin grafts immediately which cannot easily be done on a baby.
Detective Inspector Paul Dalton said the main culprit fled the country less than 12 hours before police were able to identify him.
Officers are unwilling to specify which country the man escaped to for fears that it may jeopardise their ongoing investigation.
Luka has been left with life threatening burns to his chest, neck and face and has thus far undergone seven surgeries at the Queensland Childrens Hospital
CCTV footage caught the man running through several suburbs during his escape
Lukas mother told the publication that the thought of her sons attacker never facing justice left her feeling sick.
The callous and unprovoked attack has changed her familys lives forever and they will be furious if the man is never caught, she said.
CCTV footage captured the suspect fleeing on foot across several Brisbane suburbs immediately after he allegedly poured out his thermos as Lukas mother remained in the park screaming for help.
It important that the culprit is caught because its not fair that he gets away with this and can go and live a normal life after hes affected ours forever, the mother added.
A lot of Lukas childhood will now be preoccupied by scar management but his mother hopes that Tuesdays surgery will be Lukas last.
Doctors may still need to graft skin from Lukas thigh in the near future.
