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China sends police to Australia in hunt for man who doused baby with coffee
12 hours agoHarry SekulichSydney
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The suspect - pictured in 2024 - is in China, Australian officials say
China is sending a team to Australia to help in the search for a man who allegedly doused a baby with boiling coffee in 2024.
The nine-month old was attacked while his family were at a park in Brisbane's southern suburbs, suffering serious burns to his face and limbs.
The suspect fled the country before police identified him as a 33-year-old man, and is currently in China - a country with which Australia does not have an extradition arrangement.
China's ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said on Thursday a "working group" would travel to Brisbane to assist the investigation.
"We are serious in addressing this concern, and we're serious in taking the necessary actions," Xiao told reporters in Canberra.
The team will work with Australian officials to "see what exactly happened, how it happened, and how both sides can work together as a follow-up", he added.
In a joint statement, Queensland Police and the Australian Federal Police said they are "supporting a delegation of Chinese authorities", thanking them for their "ongoing cooperation" given the challenges presented by the alleged offender's location.
"China has extraterritorial jurisdiction to prosecute its citizens for conduct which occurs outside China," the joint statement read.
An arrest warrant was issued for the man for acts intending to cause grievous bodily harm, a charge which in Australia could carry life imprisonment term.
Police have described the suspect as an "itinerant" worker who had travelled to Australia on multiple occasions between 2019 and 2024, and had addresses in the states of Victoria and New South Wales.
