A criminal psychologist has suggested that the man who threw a thermos of hot coffee over a nine-month-old baby may have acted out of “hatred towards young children”.
The boy was picnicking with his mother in Hanlon Park in Brisbane on Tuesday when the man approached them around noon.
He poured the coffee over the baby, who immediately began to scream. CCTV footage captured him fleeing the park on foot.
The boy has since undergone surgery at Queensland Children’s Hospital for burns to his face and chest.
According to reports, the nine-month-old baby has burns over 60 percent of his body.
Dr Tim Watson-Munro told Daily Mail Australia it was likely the man had ‘cognitively rehearsed’ the crime rather than acting impulsively.
“I suspect there was some planning involved, even if it was impulsive at the time,” he said.
“He knew the consequences of his actions, hence the escape. It is more likely that he knew what he was doing, it is unlikely that it was a crime of impulse.”
The criminal psychologist also suggested some possible motives.
“Maybe he hated young children or was jealous of young families. Maybe he wanted attention and was looking for fame,” he said.
Criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia it was likely the man had “cognitively rehearsed” the crime rather than acting impulsively.
The nine-month-old baby boy (pictured) was attacked in a Brisbane park on Tuesday
Police on Thursday morning released a second photo (pictured) of a man they want to speak to in connection with the alleged attack in a Brisbane park
“I think he’s absolutely a disturbed person. This could have ended in tragedy.”
According to Dr Watson-Munro, it would be extremely traumatic for both the baby’s mother and bystanders to witness such a “horrific” and “cowardly” attack.
‘In my 46 years of dealing with criminals, I’ve seen everything. I’ve seen cruelty to children, but I’ve never seen a baby attacked in a public place.
‘Are defies all imagination… to attack a baby in the first days of its life. It makes my blood run cold.’
Police released a second photo Thursday morning of a man they want to speak to in connection with the alleged attack.
The alleged attacker is described as being 30-40 years old, of proportional build, tanned skin and was wearing a black hat, glasses, a shirt and shorts.
The police are calling on anyone who knows the man or has more information to come forward.
The parents are still reeling from the attack, saying they can’t understand why anyone would hurt a baby.
“I don’t know who would think it was right to hurt an innocent baby,” the mother told Nine Network.
“A sick guy,” the father said then.
The boy’s mother (left in the photo) became emotional as she recalled the terrifying experience
The alleged attack took place on Tuesday afternoon at Hanlon Park in central Brisbane
‘I keep having flashbacks of what happened and I wish he had poured the coffee on me.
“I don’t know who would think it was okay to hurt a little innocent baby.”
A friend of the boy’s mother said she tried to chase after the man but tripped, then ran back to throw her water bottle over the baby.
“This guy was standing above him, behind him, pouring a thermos of hot coffee over him and just started screaming,” Zara Mazza told The Project.
“All I could hear was his mom screaming, ‘It’s hot, it’s hot coffee,’ so I ran back, grabbed my water bottle and threw it over him.
‘I took him away from his mother, laid him on the picnic blanket and took off his clothes, which exposed his peeling skin, which blistered.’
Police have released CCTV footage of a man they want to speak to in connection with the incident
A nurse in training had set up a shower in her nearby apartment so that water could flow continuously over the screaming baby.
The little boy will have to be bandaged regularly over the next few weeks, under general anaesthetic, but his condition is stable, Ms Mazza said.
She started with a GoFundMe page to raise money for the family’s hospital bills.