Police are investigating whether a man who threw hot coffee over a baby in a shocking unprovoked attack may have fled interstate or overseas.
Nine-month-old Luka was on a picnic with his mother in Hanlon Park, in inner south east Brisbane, when the man approached them at about midday on August 27 and poured the thermos of scalding coffee over the toddler before fleeing.
The baby suffered life-threatening burns to his face, upper body and arms and has undergone four operations in Queensland Children’s Hospital.
An image of the man police believe is responsible for the attack has circulated online but detectives are yet to track him down.
‘Detectives are continuing to investigate the matter and are working with interstate and international partner agencies to progress the investigation,’ a Queensland Police spokesperson said.
‘An update to media will be provided on Monday.’
The man is described as being in his 30s or 40s and of a proportionate build with tanned skin.
He was wearing a black hat, glasses, a shirt and shorts at the time of the attack.
Police have tracked his movements after the attack to the southern Brisbane suburb of Tarragindi, where he changed his clothes outside a church.
He then caught a rideshare car into central Brisbane, before moving onto Caxton Street.
Luka has meanwhile returned to hospital after a short stay back at home.
His mother, Erna Burgic, previously said she fears he may need skin grafts and laser.
She also told Nine news last week that she was having flashbacks of the nightmare incident.
‘It’s torture and I’m supposed to be his protector and I couldn’t protect him,’ she said.
‘I’m just having flashbacks all the time about what happened.
‘I don’t know who would think that is okay to harm a little, innocent baby.’
A gofundme has been set up by Zara Mazza, a friend of Ms Burgic who was with her at the time of the attack.
By Saturday evening the page had raised a whopping $144,744, hugely surpassing its stated goal of $5,000.
It comes after criminal psychologist Dr Tim Watson-Munro told Daily Mail it was possible the offender could harm another baby.
‘Two things could occur. It may have been a one-off incident and we hope that he’s caught or he may have found it – for some perverse reason – exciting and daring and that may embolden him to do it again,’ he said.
‘The notoriety surrounding this case has been quite high. It’s been well described in the media and sometimes these people become emboldened and enlivened by the press, they get off on it in a way and that may lead to further offending.’
The criminal psychologist said he was surprised that not one person had come forward with information about the ‘cruel and callous offender’.
‘I think he will be hiding somewhere,’ Dr Watson-Munro said.
‘He may well be protected by people who know him or family members but I don’t think that the lack of detection to date means that the police are not doing their job.
‘But the fact that this photo has been published, that it’s out there in cyberspace, I’m a little surprised that no one has come forward and he hasn’t been detected yet.
‘I would have thought somebody might have come forward by now and said “I recognise this person” but as far as I’m aware, unless the police are keeping their cards pretty close, that hasn’t occurred.’