Donna Demaio: Australia Correspondent on the manhunt for the man who allegedly poured hot coffee on a baby

A global manhunt is underway for a man who allegedly poured boiling hot coffee on a nine-month-old baby in Brisbane. 

Police say the 33-year-old has fled the country since the August 27th incident in a Stones Corner park. 

Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio told Ryan Bridge detectives believe the man escaped less than a day before he was identified. 

She says the man was aware of police methodology and was conducting counter-surveillance activities, making the investigation very complex. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Right now though. Donna is our Australia correspondent, Donna, good
to have you on the program. This weapons expo in
Melbourne bracing for big protest. What's going on?

Speaker 2 (00:09):
Yes, In fact, Victoria police have erected a ring of steel,
as they describe it, around this weapons expo. It's going
to have about eight hundred companies there and there's going
to be military tanks and semi automatic guns on display,
and a lot of people are expected to attend the
expo itself, but it's understood up to about twenty five
thousand people may take to the streets, These anti war

(00:33):
activists they're calling themselves, and they possibly plan to cause chaos.
So Victoria police are trying to be prepared for that.
Interstate police have been called in and it suggested it
maybe a repeat of similar scenes. Way back in two
thousand there was absolute mayhem and violence on the streets
when protesters targeted the World Economic Forum and about one

(00:53):
hundred people were arrested at that time. So this Land
Forces Expo does have the focus of police and activists.
In fact, already at the weekend some Melbourne hotels have
been painted red and vandalized and so we do believe
that hundreds of police are being brought in as I mentioned,
and there's already this fencing that's covered in tarps. So
it's not really clear now to the general public what's

(01:16):
happening behind those taps, but you might want to know
that police now do have these extra increased powers to
search any person and vehicle under heightened anti terrant legislation
in Victoria. The Lord Mary in the meantime, he's just saying,
please everybody stay calm.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
Yeah, Nia, it sounds like there might be some need
for calm there. Tell us this thirty two year old
who allegedly poured a flask of hot coffee on a
nine month old baby in Brisbane.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yes, it's been described as deliberate and unprovoked attack. This
baby suffered significant burdens to his face, arms and legs. Now,
thankfully he's on the men. Now. This happened on the
twenty seventh of August, but we have had an update
from Brisbane Police. We now know that the man who
allegedly did this pouring this scolding coffee on a nine

(02:05):
month old baby has escaped overseas and he escaped they
believe less than a day before he was identified by
detectives and I found this most interesting. Police have confirmed
that it became apparent that this person was aware of
police methodologies, was conducting countess of valence activities and that
made the investigation quite complex. Meantime, the family is saying

(02:28):
they do hope that one day justice will be served.

Speaker 1 (02:31):
It's bizarre.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
They Okay, the baby is on the mend. We heard
from the family as well. He's up and about and
walking again, and his mother is just really that he's
such a strong little boy.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
As she put it, absolutely Donna. Thank you for that.
Donald Our Australia corresponds. For more from news Talks, he'd
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