The mother of a baby who has undergone eight operations in the last year after a stranger allegedly poured hot coffee on him has begged authorities not to let another go by without catching the person responsible.
Nine-month-old Luka suffered horrific burns when boiling hot coffee was poured over him by a stranger during a picnic in Brisbane’s Hanlon Park on August 27, 2024.
A 33-year-old man allegedly responsible later fled the country and returned to China, where he is protected from extradition back to under Chinese law.
Almost a year after the ordeal, Luka’s mother, who cannot be named, confirmed on Tuesday that her son has undergone eight operations.
‘Every procedure is a painful reminder of what was done to him — and of the justice that still hasn’t come,’ she said in a social media post seen by ABC News.
‘He’s received synthetic skin grafts, skin needling, and laser treatments for his burns.’
The mother described it as ‘beyond unacceptable’ that the man had not faced consequences, calling it ‘one of the hardest things to endure’.
‘To those in positions of power: please don’t make it another year. Do not let this man escape accountability for hurting a child!’
‘Our legal systems and international relationships should protect victims and children, yet they have failed to do so,’ the woman said.
A spokesperson for Queensland Police said investigators and n Federal Police remain committed to securing justice for the victim and his family.
The Daily Mail has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for comment.
Since Luka’s ordeal, n authorities have been urging China to return the unnamed 33-year-old for prosecution, but they have been consistently denied.
Chinese law rules that no Chinese nationals can be extradited to face prosecution abroad for crimes allegedly committed overseas.
Former NSW detective and University of Western Sydney adjunct professor Michael Kennedy has previously said there was little Queensland police could do to have the man accused of burning Luka returned to .
‘All the Queensland police can do in reality is take out an arrest warrant for this bloke, put him on the watch list for the airport and wait for him to come back,’ he said.
‘China isn’t going to send him back here under any circumstances because they just don’t do that.
Luka, who will turn two in October, is continuing his recovery.
His mother said he has a ‘strength that continues to outshine the cruelty he experienced’.
‘Despite everything he has endured and continues to endure, he is healing with a spirit that amazes us every single day,’ she said.
n authorities have maintained silence on the fate of the alleged attacker, with detectives declining to reveal their available options.
It is understood that Queensland Police have forwarded their detailed evidence against the man to Chinese authorities for their consideration.
The man was said to have approached Luka slowly before emptying his beverage and breaking into a sprint as he fled the scene.
Both his attack and escape, fleeing the Brisbane park following the incident, were captured on CCTV.
Following his departure, the man is believed to have driven to Sydney and immediately boarded a flight out of the country on August 31.
Initially, n police provided the public with an incorrect name for the man and were unable to verify his true identity until he was already out of the country.
(It was revealed that the attack took place after the man learnt his request to extend his visa in had been denied.
The 33-year-old had been in since 2019, working in a warehouse and an abattoir at various times.
The man is known to Chinese authorities and has been extensively covered by local media.
Investigators from the Queensland Police Service and the n Federal Police have been in contact with China over the man’s whereabouts.