Police reveal major update one year after devastating Brisbane baby coffee attack, officers ‘working hard' to find man responsible

Sky News AU

8 hours ago

Queensland's top cop said the manhunt for a Chinese national accused of throwing boiling hot coffee on a Brisbane baby last August is continuing with unrelenting pace, but that officers had experienced obstacles during their investigation.
Nine-month-old baby Luka was at Hanlon Park in Stones Corner, Brisbane with his mother when a man suddenly tipped a thermos of scalding coffee on him last year.
Luka suffered life-threatening burns to 60 per cent of his body including his face, upper body and arms and underwent four major surgeries at the Queensland Children's Hospital.
The 33-year-old Chinese national accused of tipping the coffee on the infant was in Australia on a student visa at the time and drove to NSW a day after the alleged attack before fleeing to China through New Zealand on August 31.
On Thursday Queensland Police Service Acting Commissioner Shane Chelepy told the 4BC radio station investigations into the 'horrible incident' were still persisting and vowed that officers had not given up tracking down the man responsible.
'This isn't something we've parked in a corner; this was a very serious offence, and we're working hard on it,' he said.
'What I can say is we're still working with our international partners to progress this matter and to get a resolution here.
'We've got a range of investigative strategies.'
Acting Commissioner Chelepy confessed the horrific incident had 'struck investigators pretty hard' and commended their continuous effort in locating the culprit.
'I give credit to those investigators, they're still working very hard on this,' Mr Chelepy said.
Host Peter Fegan then pressed him if investigators had been sent to or were currently operating in China to locate the man, to which the Acting Commissioner refused to confirm or deny.
'There are a range of investigative strategies under way, and we're going to keep these strategies at play,' he said.
'I don't want to compromise their investigative strategy.'
Following the attack Chinese media reported the man had entered and left Australia numerous times since 2019 and that he had been using multiple visas including a working holiday visa and a student visa.
The man is believed to have worked and lived at a range of locations on the east coast during his stints in Australia, including a meat processor.
He reportedly had a 'brain problem' according to a previous work colleague.
Chinese media went on to claim that the man doused baby Luka with piping hot coffee after the man's latest visa application was turned back.
'Finally, he vented his anger and [allegedly] hurt a baby before leaving Australia,' China's New Tang Dynasty Television reported.
The name of the suspect has since been broadcasted by Chinese news outlets; however, Queensland Police have avoided releasing details pertaining to the man.