Australian authorities are collaborating with their foreign counterparts to track down a guy who they suspect left the nation after dousing a newborn in hot coffee in Brisbane.
The nine-month-old child suffered “serious burns” to his face and limbs as a result of the random attack, which horrified the country last month.
A 33-year-old man is wanted by Queensland Police for acts intended to inflict grievous bodily injury, a crime that carries a potential life sentence. An arrest warrant has been issued for him.
On Monday, however, they announced that their primary suspect had left Sydney airport six days after the attack and had only been identified for 12 hours.
over August 31, the youngster and his family were having a picnic in a suburban park when a “strange man,” according to witnesses, approached and emptied a flask over the child before making off on foot.
After administering first aid right away, the infant was taken to her neighbor’s apartment by an off-duty nurse so that his burns could be cleaned with cold water.
But the child’s injuries were severe enough to necessitate several surgeries, and according to his parents, it would take years for him to fully heal.
Det Insp Paul Dalton informed the media that the incident’s motivation is still a mystery, calling the case one of his “most complex and frustrating” to date.
He verified that the police were aware of the suspect’s name and the nation he had gone to, but he cautioned that revealing the details at this time may compromise their investigation.
The individual is a self-described “itinerant” worker with addresses in Victoria and New South Wales who has been traveling to Australia on a regular basis since 2019.
Dept Insp Dalton added that the suspect had been “conducting counter-surveillance activities” in order to avoid them as he was aware of “police methodologies”.
On Monday, the baby’s parents expressed to the media their relief that the suspect had left the country, but they were also “devastated” to learn of his departure.
His mother told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, “It sounds like they were very, very close in catching him, and this obviously means that we’re going to have to wait who knows how long to get justice for our son.”
Although his father said the youngster is in “good spirits,” additional skin graft procedures might still be necessary.
For the infant boy, a GoFundMe page has now generated over A$150,000 ($100,000 £76,000).
