David Cao, a 37-year-old Sydney banker who has held senior roles including diversity, equity and inclusion positions at major Australian institutions, has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly attacking his boyfriend, Callum Forbes, 36, with a hot saucepan and boiling water at a boutique hotel in central France on 28 July. The case has drawn attention partly because of Cao's high-profile career, and former colleagues have since come forward to criticise his workplace conduct, describing him as difficult, "highly strung" and possessed of an "inflated opinion of himself".

The alleged attack took place in a "caves room" at the Château de Perreux, where the couple were staying before a planned trip to Amsterdam for World Gay Pride. Staff found Forbes alone with burns and stitches after hearing screams; Cao allegedly fled by rental car and was arrested some 36 hours later near the Belgian border, and is now on remand in France. Forbes, who is recovering in hospital with support from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, described fearing for his life during the incident. Cao, who had worked at Westpac, Bank of Queensland, Commonwealth Bank, Goldman Sachs and most recently ING (from which he was dismissed), had frequently promoted his career achievements on LinkedIn, including photos with prominent business figures.