The mother of a baby who suffered serious burns after being doused in boiling coffee by a stranger has revealed it could take years for her son to recover.
The mother was picnicking with her son Luka in Hanlon Park, south-east Brisbane, when a Chinese national approached them and threw a thermos of hot coffee over the child before fleeing on August 27.
Baby Luka suffered severe burns to 60 percent of his body, including his face, upper body and arms.
The now one-year-old boy has undergone seven operations at Queensland Children’s Hospital since the sickening attack.
Luka’s mother has revealed that her son has a long road to recovery as he heals from the mental, emotional and physical damage of the attack.
‘In the first few weeks we had no idea what his future would look like, especially because the burns were so extensive’ she said The courier post.
“He didn’t have a bath for a month when he had all the bandages on, and when we poured water on his head while we were in the bath, he started screaming.”
Luka’s mother said her son was still “wary” around people and had become shy in group settings, often hiding behind her legs before warming up to people.
Baby Luka suffered severe burns to 60 percent of his body, including his face, torso and arms, after a stranger doused him with boiling coffee while he was in the park with his mother
Luka’s mother explained that her son has had a long road to recovery as he heals from the emotional, mental and physical damage caused by the attack
Since then, he has become more comfortable with bathing and relaxes around people once he has assessed the situation.
Luka’s mother said her son’s skin had “healed very well” since the synthetic skin grafts, but his father explained that it would take years for the scars to disappear.
“We are absolutely optimistic at the moment, he is already looking better than we ever imagined,” said Luka’s father.
“Hopefully by the time he becomes a teenager you won’t even see the scars.”
Experts have warned it could be years before Luka’s attacker is brought to justice.
The 33-year-old man responsible for the attack was caught on CCTV leaving the park.
However, three days after the attack he flew out of Sydney airport with his passport, just hours before police confirmed his identity.
Queensland Police, together with the Australian Federal Police, have issued an arrest warrant for the man wanted for acts with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
“Cooperation between domestic and foreign agencies is significant and progress is being made,” QPS and AFP said in a joint statement.
The 33-year-old man responsible for the attack was caught on CCTV leaving the park
Detectives know his name and nationality, but refuse to reveal them publicly for fear of jeopardizing the investigation.
Legal experts have warned that the extradition process could be long and challenging even if authorities locate and arrest the man.
Jasmina Ceic, a partner at extradition law firm Nyman Gibson Miralis, said it could take years to bring the man back to Australia.
She explained that documents, affidavits, evidence, finding where he lived and confirming his identity could take “a minimum of three years.”
Ms Ceic added that it could take up to five years for authorities to start the extradition process as it is extremely complex and depends on the cooperation of another country.