‘Immense pain’: Massive update after 9mo baby horrifically attacked by stranger

“It has ripped this part of motherhood – a happy, joyful time – from beneath me,” the heartbroken mum said.

3 min read

September 10, 2024 - 6:04AM

Family Life

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The man who is suspected of pouring scalding hot coffee on a nine-month-old baby, which left him with horrific injuries, has reportedly fled the country.

The baby and his mother were enjoying a picnic at Hanlon Park at Stones Corner in southern Brisbane on August 27 when a stranger allegedly approached the family and doused the baby in searing hot coffee from a Thermos.

The infant suffered severe burns to 60 per cent of his face, neck and chest, requiring surgery and treatments.

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The 9mo has suffered horrific burns to his face, body and arms.

Warrant issued for man who allegedly injured baby in hot coffee attack

A nurse who was nearby assisted the mother with treating the baby’s burns, rushing him to her nearby apartment and placing him in the shower until paramedics arrived.

The baby has since undergone four surgeries to treat his severe burns and is expected to require a skin graft; his burns will likely leave scarring.

In a recent update, Queensland Police confirmed the 33-year-old man accused of the attack had fled the country using his personal passport.

He left Australia the day before Queensland Police identified him, driving from Brisbane to NSW the day after the alleged attack and flying out of Sydney Airport on August 31.

A warrant has been issued for his arrest, a spokesperson from Queensland Police confirmed.

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“An arrest warrant for a 33-year-old foreign national for the offence of acts intending to cause grievous bodily harm,” said Detective Inspector Paul Dalton. “To put that into context, that is a life imprisonment offence.”

The detective told reporters that this was one of the most “complex and frustrating” cases he had undertaken. “This person was aware of police methodologies and was certainly conducting counter-surveillance activities, which made the investigation quite complex,” he said, per 7News.

According to Dalton, it was one of the most “cowardly” and “disgusting” crimes he had witnessed.

The man’s name and the country he fled to have not been disclosed, nor has a motive for the attack, but Queensland Police confirmed the man had been travelling in and out of Australia since 2019 on work and holiday visas and had multiple addresses in NSW and Victoria.

“We will keep going until we find you, and I have not lost that determination,” Dalton said. “We’ve got 30 detectives working for me. They are devastated that they missed this person by 12 hours. I think only the family would be more upset about that.”

Police believe the man ahs since fled the country. Picture: Queensland Police

Mum’s “immense pain” following attack

The 9mo’s parents, who are choosing to remain anonymous, were devastated by the news of the man fleeing the country.

“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,” the baby’s mum told the ABC. “It’s a bit heartbreaking.”

Following the horrific attack, the mother spoke about feeling “immense pain” for her son and the pain he has been enduring. “It’s affected my mental health for the rest of my life,” she said.

Taking to Instagram, the mother argued the assailant “knew exactly what he was doing” when he chose to target an infant at the park. “As a result of the attack, fear will continue to surround me daily … Months of recovery will continue for my son,” she said.

“Constant questions eating away at me,” she said. “Why? Why him? Why not me? Why an innocent, defenceless baby?”

She explained the attack has severely affected her mental health, causing her to “live in fear for two weeks that he might attack us again”.

“I had no idea what this man was capable of; the anxiety has been extreme,” she said. “It has ripped this part of motherhood – a happy, joyful time – from beneath me.”