Chinese investigators are set to travel to Brisbane to assist Australian police in the hunt for a man who allegedly attacked a baby with hot coffee and fled to China.
China's ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, announced on Wednesday that a working group would visit Queensland to cooperate with police in investigating the 33-year-old suspect.
The man is accused of pouring a Thermos of hot coffee over nine-month-old Luka at a Brisbane park on 27 August 2024. The baby suffered severe burns to his chest, neck and face, requiring eight surgeries including grafts and laser treatments.
Police identified the suspect and released CCTV images, but discovered he had already flown to China 12 hours earlier.
Ambassador Xiao stated, 'We’re now preparing for the working group to come, so we are serious in addressing this concern.' The team will work with Australian authorities to understand what happened and explore follow-up actions.
The Australian Federal Police have been liaising with Chinese authorities since the suspect left Australia on 31 August 2024. Queensland Police and the AFP have expressed support for the delegation's visit.
