The devastated parents of a nine-month-old baby boy who was scalded by a stranger in a park have detailed the harrowing effect the ordeal has had on his sister- who’s frightened that he’ll now come after her.
Baby Luka was picnicking with his mum and friends at Hanlon Park in Brisbane’s Coorparoo when an unknown man approached them and poured a thermos of hot coffee over the little boy about midday on Tuesday.
As Luka’s frantic mother and Good Samaritan witnesses worked to cover him in cold water, her partner was driving around with their three-year-old daughter 14km away in Chermside.
While driving, he realised he had five missed calls from his partner and used his car’s bluetooth speaker to call her back.
That’s how he and the little girl found out about the horrific and unprovoked attack.
Hearing of her brother’s horrific injuries has struck fear into the heart of the girl, just days out from her fourth birthday.
‘I looked at my phone and instantly knew something must be wrong,’ the father told The Project on Thursday night.
‘I got a hold of her (his partner) over the car speaker and my daughter, who turns four on Monday, was in the car.’
Luka (pictured with his mother on Thursday) was badly burnt after a stranger poured hot coffee on him at a Brisbane park
Luka’s father (pictured with partner) said his three-year-old daughter overheard in the car about what happened to her little brother
After hearing about her brother’s injuries (pictured), Luka’s big sister became afraid the ‘bad man’ would attack her too
‘She heard everything, I heard everything. It was all very frantic.
‘She’s an incredibly smart girl, so she’s very aware of everything.
‘She was even asking saying after she saw my son in the emergency room, ‘I hope the bad guy doesn’t hurt me’, things like that.’
He and his partner are ‘still trying to explain it’ to their young daughter but have been unable to see her face to face since the attack as they keep a 24-7 vigil on Luka in hospital.
‘I haven’t been able to see her since the emergency room because I’ve not left the hospital yet but, yeah, I imagine it’s pretty traumatic for her,’ the dad added.
His partner admitted that she no longer feels safe in public after the horror incident.
The group had been at the park for just 10 minutes before the incident happened.
‘I’m not sure how I’m going to feel safe leaving my house with my son in the future and I know that that’s going to be a long road for me,’ the mum told the program.
‘I’m just so grateful for all the community support and my friends and family have rallied us … and my partner is fantastic, as well, so having all of that support around me, I know we’ll get through it together.’
Luka will undergo his second surgery on Friday, where his parents will find out the full extent of his burns and whether he needs skin grafts.
‘His chin, all down his neck, the bottom of his cheek and his chest and back, are deeper burns, so they’re more severe,’ his dad told the Courier Mail.
He also revealed Luka had been sick recently.
‘And then he finally got better a few days before the incident. And then that’s when his mum organised to see her friends and their babies in the park so (he) could see his friends,’ the dad added.
It comes after Luka’s mum shared a video of her baby boy walking and laughing for the first time since the attack on Thursday.
The baby remains in Queensland Children’s Hospital in a stable condition and faces several surgeries to recover from burns to 60 per cent of his body.
Luka had taken his first steps hours before he was seriously burnt, so his parents were relieved to see the injuries weren’t deterring his development.
‘He seems like his happy self again, which is nice to see because the last few days have been really, really hard,’ his mother told Seven News.
‘He’s doing good. He’s actually playing.’
Queensland Police are working to find a man (pictured) seen fleeing the park shortly after the attack
Luka (pictured) remains in in Queensland Children’s Hospital suffering from burns to 60 per cent of his body
Earlier on Thursday, Queensland Police released new images of the alleged perpetrator and details of his bizarre movements immediately after the attack.
After fleeing the park, he went to a church in nearby Tarragindi where he changed his clothes outside.
He then caught a rideshare car to Brisbane’s CBD and travelled to Caxton Street.
The man was wearing a black hat, glasses, a checkered button-up shirt and shorts.
He’s described as aged 30-40 with a proportionate build, tanned skin and wore a black hat, glasses, a shirt and shorts.
Luka’s parents are now anxiously waiting for his attacker to be caught.
‘I want this man caught and charged. He’s out on the loose,’ his mother told the Brisbane Times.
‘I’m anxious and worried that he’s going to hurt someone else again, or hurt us again.’
She and her friend were in the park with their babies for just 10 minutes when the unknown man approached.
‘If anyone has any footage from around that area or who knows him, or lives next door to him, or something, please just come forward,’ the mum said.
Luka (pictured at the park shortly before the attack) had taken his first steps just hours before he was burnt by the unknown stranger
A GoFundMe for the Luka’s medical fees has raised almost $80,000 in just one day.
‘It’s restored my faith in the community and in the kindness out there,’ the grateful mother said.
The GoFundMe, created by friend who was at the picnic, described the man’s actions as ‘callous’ and ‘random’.
‘Luka is currently in hospital and is [expected] to stay for a while, while he is treated for severe burns,’ she wrote.
‘He has a long recovery ahead of him which will include further doctors’, specialists’ [and] hospital appointments.
‘[I] would love to raise some money towards any medical or household costs to help ease the pressure off of my friend and her family while they take the time to be home and help their beautiful boy heal.’
In a positive sign of recovery, Luka’s mother shared a video of the baby walking (pictured) and laughing for the first time since the attack on Thursday
Luka (pictured in hospital) will undergo his second surgery on Friday
Luka’s mother said he is doing ‘well’ considering the burns his suffered.
‘He has been playing and interacting and smiling and laughing which has been really, really nice to see because the last couple of days, he’s been miserable and in discomfort and pain,’ she said.
‘He’s stable at the moment and he’s having his second surgery tomorrow, so we’ll know more information about his burns tomorrow, once he goes under for his second surgery.’
Detective Inspector Paul Dalton described the attack as ‘callous and cowardly’ as well as ‘completely unprovoked’.
‘When you look at the circumstances, particularly for us who are parents, going through a park on a beautiful winter’s day in Brisbane, enjoying time with your baby… to be approached like this and attacked in this way must be terrifying,’ Dalton said.
‘In 35 years of being a police officer, I’ve never come across a job where a child this young, in these circumstances, has been attacked. It shouldn’t happen.
‘Everyone has a right to feel safe in our community.
‘This sort of behaviour will not be tolerated and we’ve thrown all our resources that we can possibly (spare) to it at this stage to hold this person accountable.’
Inspector Dalton also reassured Brisbane parents his officers are ‘working around the clock’ to find the man they believe is responsible for the attack (pictured)
A GoFundMe for the Luka’s medical fees has raised almost $80,000 in one day
Inspector Dalton also reassured Brisbane parents his officers are ‘working around the clock’ to find the perpetrator.
The Child Protection and Investigation Unit are assisting in the search.
Anyone who recognises the man, or who has any information that can assist investigations, is urged to contact Policelink on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers.
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