China sends team to Brisbane to probe baby hot coffee attack as suspect remains at large

A Chinese investigative team will travel to Australia to assist police searching for a man accused of pouring hot coffee on a baby before fleeing the country.

China’s Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, confirmed on Wednesday that investigators would visit Queensland to work alongside local authorities probing the alleged attack.

The 33-year-old man is accused of throwing a thermos of hot coffee over nine-month-old Luka at a Brisbane park on August 27, 2024, before leaving Australia and returning to China.

The infant’s mother said Luka had undergone eight surgeries and received synthetic skin grafts, skin needling, and laser treatments for burns, all of which were a “painful reminder of what was done to him and of the justice that still hasn’t come”.

By the age of two, Luka has endured more than most adults face in a lifetime after an attack that shocked a nation, his mother says.

“The fact that someone can deliberately hurt a child and face no consequences is beyond unacceptable.

“That reality is as painful today as it was a year ago and is one of the hardest things to live with: knowing that the person who hurt our child walks free”.

Speaking in Canberra, Mr Xiao said a “working group” would travel to Brisbane to assist with the investigation into the alleged assault.

“I’m not sure if I should announce this at this moment, but there’s going to be a working group from China coming to Brisbane,” Mr Xiao said.

“We’re now preparing for the working group to come, so we are serious in addressing this concern, and we’re serious in taking the necessary actions.”

Mr Xiao said the team will work with Australian police to “see what exactly happened, how it happened, and how both sides can work together as a follow-up”.

Australian Federal Police have been working with Chinese authorities since the alleged attacker left the country on August 31, 2024.

There is no extradition treaty between Australia and China.

Queensland Police Service and Australian Federal Police said they are supportive of the delegation visiting Brisbane.

With AAP