More surgery for baby attacked in park as parents reveal extent of injuries, trauma
The family of a little boy doused with scalding water in a horror random attack in a Brisbane park has told of the sad reason they had taken him out in the first place, as the full impact of the sick assault is revealed.
QLD News
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The mother of a little boy doused with scalding water in a horror random attack had taken him to the Brisbane park to see his friends and brighten his spirits after he had been sick, his family has revealed.
The nine-month-old boy attacked at a Stones Corner park on Tuesday will undergo further surgery on Friday for serious burns suffered in the shocking incident, as his father revealed the trauma the boy’s mother has suffered and how the boy’s four-year-old sister heard the drama unfold.
Detectives are still working to find the man and on Thursday released fresh pictures of the suspect.
“He has another surgery on Friday, so we’re not going to know the full extent of the severe (burns) until then,” the boy’s father said.
“They did tell us from the last surgery ... the side of his face and his head, his arms and legs and feet - those burns should be mostly superficial, so they’re going to heal no problems.
“But his chin, all down his neck, the bottom of his cheek and his chest and back, are deeper burns, so they’re more severe.”
After the surgery (Friday) the family will find out if he will need skin grafts or laser.
Baby Luka had only taken his first steps a few weeks ago before falling ill.
“He’s had nonstop fevers two weeks prior. We’ve been at hospital and had doctors with Luka for a couple of weeks, so he hasn’t really been able to carry on walking and everything like that,” the father said.
“And then he finally got better a few days before the incident. And then that’s when his mum organised to see her friends and their babies in the park so Luka could see his friends.”
The father said he was with his four-year-old daughter when he found out what happened to Luka.
“I was with my daughter at Chermside when I got the call. So she heard on the speaker, driving in the car. She heard the frantic call from my partner and everything. So she was fully aware,” he said.
“Then obviously, when we got to the emergency, she was in the room with us and everything so she saw Luka, all the detectives were there and everything.
“She knows that a bad man hurt Luka.”
The father said his partner was struggling after witnessing the incident.
“I wasn’t there when the incident happened but it happened right in front of my partner, so she saw everything and she’s got trauma from it. It’s been pretty rough” he said.
“I’m a retired veteran. I’ve kind of been through not a similar situation, but similar trauma to what my partner will be experiencing now with public places and things like that.
“She’s probably going to take a while to be able to go in public.”
Chilling video of the man fleeing was caught on nearby CCTV and released by police.
Anyone who recognises the man, or who has any information that can assist investigations, is urged to contact police.
Police have set up a mobile police beat at Hanlon Park as part of their investigations into the disturbing incident.
Originally published as More surgery for baby attacked in park as parents reveal extent of injuries, trauma