The mother confirmed that her son was in good spirits and that his health had improved significantly in the three weeks since the attack.

“He walks, crawls and laughs. You wouldn’t even know he was hurt like that because he’s just so resilient and strong. It hasn’t stopped him from doing anything at this point.

“He’s feeling much better. He had his seventh operation on Tuesday and no longer needs general anesthesia.”

At a recent press conference on September 9, police revealed they were investigating whether the suspect was “sleeping on the street” in Stones Corner at the time of the alleged attack.

More than a dozen shop owners, residents and passers-by approached by this reporter in the weeks after the crime said they had never seen him before.

Ruwan Kalu lives opposite Hanlon Park and heard screams during the attack. His home surveillance system captured the now-infamous footage of a man running away down Junction Street.

“I don’t know why it happened. It’s really weird,” he said. Brisbane Times.

“My daughter usually rides her bike to the park every evening, and now I tell her, ‘go before it gets dark.’

“My wife was really worried… Even I was scared after I gave our video to the police. Is this a drug gang or something criminal?”

A GoFundme page aimed at helping the family cover “any medical or home care expenses” has already raised $189,099 from more than 4,000 donors.