Young mum of baby doused in hot coffee in Hanlon Park, Brisbane, reveals why she is ‘extremely frustrated’ with police after her son’s cowardly attacker fled overseas

The mother of a baby who was doused with hot coffee has been left “extremely frustrated” with police after her son’s attacker fled abroad.

The woman and her son were picnicking with his mother at Hanlon Park, in Brisbane’s south-east, on August 27 when a stranger approached them and threw a thermos of hot coffee over the baby before running away.

The baby suffered severe burns to his face, upper body and arms and has already undergone five operations at Queensland Children’s Hospital.

He still has several surgeries to go and some of the scars will be permanent.

On Monday afternoon, Detective Constable Paul Dalton confirmed the family’s worst fears that the suspect had fled Australia.

The 33-year-old man left Sydney airport on August 31 using his own passport, just 12 hours before police confirmed his identity.

Detectives know his name and nationality, but do not want to make them public for fear of jeopardizing the investigation.

But Luka’s mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, has criticised the police for leaving her and her partner in the dark.

“They know his name and what country he’s from, but they haven’t told us yet. It’s very frustrating,” Luka’s mother said on the Kyle & Jackie O show Friday morning.

KIIS FM presenter Kyle Sandilands, who had recently become a father himself, volunteered to track down the attacker abroad and was furious at the secrecy.

“Why are they protecting this guy who did one of the most horrible things a human can do? Why is he being protected while you and Luka are suffering?” he fumed.

Luka’s mother said she believed releasing the man’s identity would hinder the investigation.

“Releasing this information would somehow jeopardise the case because they have to work with the country he is in to extradite him back to Australia,” she said.

“I don’t know how it works. Every time they talk to me, I don’t understand what they’re saying. I just want justice. I want to know all the information, but they don’t give it.”

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Queensland police for comment.

Jackie O. Henderson had to hold back tears during the interview.

“I can’t even imagine how horrible it must feel to know that this man is not even here in the country. How could someone do something so horrible,” she said.

“You can’t imagine that kind of evil, and your poor, poor bubba.”

Henderson asked Luka’s mother if she had ever encountered the perpetrator before.

“The first few days I just thought, ‘Have I met this person before? What did I do wrong? What happened?’” Luka’s mother replied.

‘Because to me, hurting a baby is something I can’t imagine. He must be a psychopath or something.’

Sandilands reiterated his criticism of the vague and “woke” description authorities gave of the alleged perpetrator, who was said to have “tanned” skin, rather than being more specific and saying he was of Asian appearance.

The 53-year-old radio presenter dismissed it as “woke bulls***” and asked Luka’s mother if she thought it was hindering the search.

“I’ve been thinking about all the things that have been released and the things that haven’t been released. If more surveillance footage had been released, maybe someone would have recognized him,” Luka’s mother replied.

She added: ‘I can’t imagine him getting away with this and living a normal life when it’s affecting us for the rest of our lives.’

She said the boy was doing well, despite having to go to the hospital for yet another operation on Friday morning.

‘The next four weeks this happens every four days, and then once a week for two weeks.’

She added: “Unfortunately there will always be scars.”

“I’ve been thinking about all the things that have been released and things that haven’t been released. If more surveillance footage had been released, maybe someone would have recognized him,” Luka’s mother replied.

She added: ‘I can’t imagine him getting away with this and living a normal life when it’s affecting us for the rest of our lives.’

She said the boy was doing well, despite having to go to the hospital for yet another operation on Friday morning.

‘The next four weeks this happens every four days, and then once a week for two weeks.’

She added: “Unfortunately there will always be scars.”

The hosts pledged to donate $10,000 to the GoFundMe set up to raise money for Luka’s hospital treatment, on top of the $160,000 already donated.

Luka’s mother previously told Daily Mail Australia that his “little cooing” gave her the strength to carry on.

“That little coo of his, it gives me strength, just knowing that he’s going to survive all of this and that he’s going to be okay,” she said.

“When I first heard him laugh again, my heart melted. It gives me courage and positivity for the future.”

Police were able to track baby Luka’s alleged attacker to Tarragindi, a southern suburb of Brisbane, where he changed clothes outside a church.

He then took a taxi to the centre of Brisbane, where he drove to Caxton Street, where he was initially not found until it was discovered that he had fled the country.

Queensland Police Detective Inspector Paul Dalton said the suspect was “aware of police methods” and had carried out “counter-surveillance activities” in the days following the attack.

Eventually he managed to leave Sydney airport unnoticed on his own, showing his passport.

“This is probably one of the most complex and at times frustrating investigations I have ever been involved in and led,” he said Monday.

Detective Inspector Dalton said the man was clearly ‘aware of what we [the police] that they were trying to find people and that their efforts to capture him were initially delayed after he was wrongly identified as another man.

He called it the “most cowardly” attack he had seen in his career.

“A young mother and a baby are sitting on the ground and you are believed to be approaching them from behind,” Detective Dalton said.

“Can you think of anything more vulnerable than that? And taking advantage of it? You’re probably right, it’s one of the most disgusting I’ve come across.”