‘Exceptionally difficult’: Expert reveals why extraditing foreign national who allegedly poured hot coffee over baby could be a challenge

An expert has revealed why it may be difficult to extradite a foreign national who allegedly poured hot coffee over a baby in a Brisbane park, after authorities confirmed he fled the country weeks ago. Nine-month-old Luka was injured on August 27 while having a picnic with his mother at a Brisbane park. Police allege a man came up to the boy and poured a Thermos of hot coffee on the child, burning his face and chest. Queensland Police earlier said the 33-year-old man accused of the attack had fled the country on his own passport a day before police identified him. He travelled by car to NSW on August 28 before flying out of Sydney airport on August 31, police said. A warrant has been issued for his arrest. Australian National University Professor of International Law Donald Rothwell said the first objective is to try and figure out where exactly the alleged offender has fled to, which could involve looking at data from flight manifests and seeking the co-operation of various airlines. “In this particular instance though the Queensland Police have identified the individual as someone who has travelled in and out of Australia … which would suggest Australia would have basic information about this person (including about potential citizenship and foreign residence),” Professor Rothwell said. Speaking hypothetically, Professor Rothwell said if it’s known the alleged offender travelled to a certain country, Queensland Police would be able to put in an extradition request. “If on the other hand there’s no real understanding as to where this individual may have fled to — or indeed they may have travelled to one part of the world and then of course on arrival crossed borders by land or even by sea — that then becomes exceptionally difficult, and that then sees Australia possibly entering the realm of putting out an interpol request warrant,” he said. Professor Rothwell concluded the information available at the moment is “still quite sketchy”. “Matters remain at a preliminary stage at the moment, but most importantly the Queensland Police have identified a suspect as a person of interest,” he said. Luka’s parents – who asked to remain anonymous – previously said it was “heartbreaking” to hear the alleged attacker had fled. “It sounds like they were very, very close in catching him, and this obviously means that we’re going to have to wait who knows how long to get justice for our son,” the mother told the ABC after the press conference. “It’s a bit heartbreaking.” The mother said she would continue to live with anxiety while in public with her son. However, the family was informed the alleged attacker had fled. “Within a matter of days of the attack, he had already fled the country and actively avoided police tactics to track him down,” the mother wrote to social media. “I’ve lived in constant fear for two weeks that he might attack us again. I had no idea what this man was capable of, the anxiety has been extreme.” While she said she felt some comfort in knowing the man was no longer in the country, she said there was an “excruciating amount of anger” about him not being apprehended. “We now have to wait weeks, months or even years until justice is served for our boy,” she said.