Australian police are working with their international counterparts to find a man they believe fled the country after pouring boiling coffee on a Brisbane child.
The unprovoked attack – which happened last month and shocked the nation – left a nine-month-old boy with “severe burns” to his face and limbs.
Queensland police have issued a warrant for the arrest of a 33-year-old man who was wanted on charges of assault, which carries a life sentence.
However, on Monday they said their main suspect flew out of Sydney airport six days after the incident, and there is still 12 hours left before they can confirm his identity.
The baby was having a picnic with his family in a park in the city on August 31, when eyewitnesses say an “unknown man” came and poured a flask on the baby before fleeing on foot.
The baby was immediately given first aid, before an off-duty nurse took him to his nearby flat to douse his burns under cold water.
However, the child was seriously injured and has already had to be operated on several times, and his parents say that he is facing the problem of years of recovery.
The cause of the incident is still unknown, Det Insp Paul Dalton told the media, describing the case as one of the “most complex and frustrating” he has ever led.
He confirmed that the police know which country the suspect fled to, and his name, but said that disclosing the information at this time could jeopardize their investigation.
The man is a “mobile” worker who has visited Australia several times since 2019 and has addresses in New South Wales and Victoria.
Dept Insp Dalton also said the suspect was aware of “police methods” and was “carrying out patrol operations” to avoid them.
The baby’s parents told the media on Monday that they were “sad” to hear that the suspect had left but were relieved that he was gone.
“It feels like they were very close to catching him, and this means we will have to wait for who knows how long for justice for our son,” his mother told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The boy is “in good spirits”, his father added, but he may need another skin graft.
A GoFundMe page for the baby boy has so far raised more than A$150,000 ($100,000 £76,000).
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