Brisbane man charged with torturing newborn in city’s southwest

A man has been charged with torture after an investigation into alleged child abuse in Brisbane's southwest. The case pertains to a seven-week-old baby boy who was taken to the hospital in March 2025.

Police claimed that a seven-week-old boy was brought to Queensland Children's Hospital unresponsive on March 5, 2025, according to media reports. “It will be alleged that medical examinations at the time revealed that the boy had sustained extensive injuries consistent with prolonged and repeated physical abuse,” the Queensland Police Service (QPS) said in a statement.

An investigation was launched into the matter, and the boy was removed from the care of a 27-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman. The 27-year-old Forest Lake man has been charged with three counts of assault causing bodily harm and one count of torture.


According to NT News, in the body-worn camera footage released by police officers, they were seen arresting the man at a property and escorting him to a waiting vehicle. The 27-year-old was refused police bail and is due to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday (June 16).

Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Joshua Brewer called the alleged incident “deeply confronting” and praised the detectives investigating it. “This was a deeply confronting matter for (detectives) to undertake, given it involved a vulnerable infant sustaining serious injuries,” he said, NT News reported.

“Detectives worked with care and determination to take appropriate action to remove the child from harm. This investigation highlights the importance of community diligence—if members of the public are aware of or suspect child abuse, they are encouraged to report it to police,” Brewer added.