Chinese investigators are set to travel to Brisbane to assist Australian police in locating a man who allegedly threw hot coffee on a nine-month-old boy before fleeing to China. China’s ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, confirmed on Wednesday that a working group will travel to Queensland to cooperate with local authorities.
The attack occurred on 27 August 2024 at a park in Brisbane, where a stranger reportedly poured a Thermos of hot coffee over nine-month-old Luka. The infant suffered severe burns to his chest, neck and face, requiring eight surgeries including skin grafts and laser treatments.
Queensland police identified the 33-year-old suspect and released CCTV images of him, but by then he had already flown to China 12 hours earlier. Australian Federal Police have been coordinating with Chinese authorities since the man left Australia on 31 August 2024.
Ambassador Xiao stated that the working group aims to “see what exactly happened, how it happened, and how both sides can work together as a follow-up.” Queensland Police and the Australian Federal Police have expressed support for the delegation’s visit.
