The three-year-old sister of a baby boy who suffered serious burns when a stranger threw hot coffee over him in a park is now afraid a ‘bad man’ could come and hurt her.
Baby Luka was at a picnic with his mum and friends at Hanlon Park in Brisbane’s Coorparoo when an unknown man approached them and poured coffee over the little boy from a thermos at about midday on Tuesday.
As Luka’s frantic mother and Good Samaritans worked to cover him in cold water, her partner was driving around with their three-year-old daughter 14km away in Chermside.
While driving, he realised he had five missed calls from his partner and used his car’s bluetooth speaker to call her back.
That’s how he and Luka’s sister found out about the horrific and unprovoked attack.
Hearing of her brother’s injuries has struck fear into the heart of the girl, just days out from her fourth birthday.
‘I got a hold of her (his partner) over the car speaker and my daughter, who turns four on Monday, was in the car,’ the father told The Project on Thursday night.
‘She heard everything, I heard everything. It was all very frantic.
‘She’s an incredibly smart girl, so she’s very aware of everything.
‘She was even asking saying after she saw my son in the emergency room, “I hope the bad guy doesn’t hurt me”, things like that.’
The parents are ‘still trying to explain it’ to their young daughter but have been unable to see her face-to-face since the attack as they are staying in hospital with Luka 24-7.
Luka’s mother admitted she no longer feels safe in public after the horror incident.
The group had been at the park for just 10 minutes before the incident happened.
‘I’m not sure how I’m going to feel safe leaving my house with my son in the future and I know that that’s going to be a long road for me,’ the mum told the program.
‘I’m just so grateful for all the community support and my friends and family have rallied us … and my partner is fantastic, as well, so having all of that support around me, I know we’ll get through it together.’
Luka is expected to undergo his next surgery on Friday, where his parents will find out the full extend of his burns and whether he needs skin grafts.
‘His chin, all down his neck, the bottom of his cheek and his chest and back, are deeper burns, so they’re more severe,’ his dad told the Courier Mail.
He also revealed Luka had been sick recently.
‘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 (he) could see his friends,’ the dad added.
It comes after Luka’s mum shared a video of her baby boy walking and laughing for the first time since the attack on Thursday.
The baby remains in Queensland Children’s Hospital and faces several surgeries to recover from burns to 60 per cent of his body.
Luka had taken his first steps hours before he was seriously burnt, so his parents were relieved to see the injuries weren’t deterring his development.
‘He seems like his happy self again, which is nice to see because the last few days have been really, really hard,’ his mother told 7News.
‘He’s doing good. He’s actually playing.’
Earlier on Thursday, Queensland Police released new images of the alleged perpetrator and details of his bizarre movements immediately after the attack.
After fleeing the park, he went to a church in nearby Tarragindi where he changed his clothes outside.
He then caught a rideshare car to Brisbane’s CBD and travelled to Caxton Street.
The man was wearing a black hat, glasses, a checkered button-up shirt and shorts.
He’s described as aged 30-40 with a proportionate build, tanned skin and wore a black hat, glasses, a shirt and shorts.
Luka’s parents are now anxiously waiting for his attacker to be caught.
‘I want this man caught and charged. He’s out on the loose,’ his mother told the Brisbane Times.
‘I’m anxious and worried that he’s going to hurt someone else again, or hurt us again.’
She and her friend were in the park with their babies for just 10 minutes when the unknown man approached and poured the scalding coffee on her son.
‘If anyone has any footage from around that area or who knows him, or lives next door to him, or something, please just come forward,’ the mum said.
A GoFundMe for Luka’s medical fees has received more than $65,000 in just over a day.
‘It’s restored my faith in the community and in the kindness out there,’ the grateful mother said.
The GoFundMe, created by a family friend who was at the attacked picnic, described the man’s actions as ‘callous’ and ‘random’.
‘Luka is currently in hospital and is [expected] to stay for a while, while he is treated for severe burns,’ she wrote.
‘He has a long recovery ahead of him which will include further doctors’, specialists’ [and] hospital appointments.
‘[I] would love to raise some money towards any medical or household costs to help ease the pressure off of my friend and her family while they take the time to be home and help their beautiful boy heal.’
Luka’s mother said he is doing ‘well’ considering he suffered burns to 60 per cent of his body.
‘He has been playing and interacting and smiling and laughing which has been really, really nice to see because the last couple of days, he’s been miserable and in discomfort and pain,’ she said.
‘He’s stable at the moment and he’s having his second surgery tomorrow, so we’ll know more information about his burns tomorrow, once he goes under for his second surgery.’
Detective Inspector Paul Dalton on Wednesday said Luka was in a stable condition.
He described the attack as ‘callous and cowardly’ as well as ‘completely unprovoked’.
‘When you look at the circumstances, particularly for us who are parents, going through a park on a beautiful winter’s day in Brisbane, enjoying time with your baby… to be approached like this and attacked in this way must be terrifying,’ Dalton said.
‘In 35 years of being a police officer, I’ve never come across a job where a child this young, in these circumstances, has been attacked. It shouldn’t happen.
‘Everyone has a right to feel safe in our community.
‘This sort of behaviour will not be tolerated and we’ve thrown all our resources that we can possibly (spare) to it at this stage to hold this person accountable.’
Inspector Dalton also reassured Brisbane parents his officers are ‘working around the clock’ to find the perpetrator.
The Child Protection and Investigation Unit are assisting in the search.
Anyone who recognises the man, or who has any information that can assist investigations, is urged to contact Policelink on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers.