Three newborn babies found dumped in parks in east London over the past seven years share the same parents, it has been revealed – as the Metropolitan Police continue the search for those who abandoned the infants.
DNA tests presented at a hearing at East London Family Court proved that a baby girl found by a dog walker in Newham earlier this year is the sister of two other babies, a boy and a girl, found in similar circumstances in 2017 and 2019.
The baby, named Elsa by hospital staff, was less than an hour old when she was found in a shopping bag in sub-zero temperatures on 18 January.
Her brother, who was named Harry, was found abandoned in a park in Plaistow in 2017, and her sister, called Roman, was discovered in a park in Newham in 2019.
At the family court hearing this month, Judge Carol Atkinson said the story was of “great public interest” as she amended restrictions to allow reporting of the relationship between the children.
The Met Police have not yet been able to identify the parents, despite several public appeals over the children, who have all survived: the eldest two have been adopted, while Elsa is still in foster care.
Judge Atkinson said she hoped that identifying the children’s relationship could help the Met in its investigation to find the biological parents.
Elsa was found wrapped in a towel in a reusable shopping bag by a dog walker at the junction of Greenway and High Street South in East Ham.
At the time, police said the baby, who when discovered was so cold that it took doctors three hours to record her temperature, was likely to have been born following a concealed pregnancy.
Roman was also discovered in freezing temperatures, in a park area close to Roman Road and Saxon Road in East Ham, on 30 January 2019 at 10.15pm.
She was wrapped in a white towel and placed in a shopping bag next to a bench in a children’s play area.
Like Elsa, she was also found by a dog walker. Rima Zvaliauskas told the BBC she had been “shocked and distressed” to make the find.
Harry was found wrapped in a white blanket in a park area off Balaam Street in Plaistow on 17 September 2017 at 8.20am.
At the point of each discovery, the Met Police ran appeals asking for information on the parents of the babies, and appealing for people seen in the areas to come forward.
Speaking after Elsa was found, Chief Superintendent Simon Crick said: “We are extremely concerned for [the mother’s] welfare as she would have been through a traumatic ordeal and will be in need of immediate medical attention following the birth.
“Trained medics and specialist officers are ready to support her and we urge her to get in touch by phone or walk into the nearest hospital or police station. If you are the baby’s mother, please know that your daughter is well. No matter what your circumstances, please do seek help.”
In her ruling to lift reporting restrictions on Monday, Judge Atkinson said: “The abandonment of a baby in this country is a very, very unusual event and there are years where there are no children abandoned, and because of that, it is the story of the abandoning of a child that is of public interest.”
She continued: “It is for the same reason, in our current society, of enormous interest and importance that people know that there are a mother and father out there who felt the need to relinquish their children in this way, three times, and that is of considerable interest, it seems to me.
“If I restrict these rights and the reporting of that story, I think that does impact on public consciousness of these sorts of matters. It restricts the openness of justice.”
The ruling follows efforts to increase transparency in the family court system.
While journalists can usually attend family court proceedings, reporting restrictions limit what can be published, to protect the anonymity of those involved.
Following an application made, Judge Atkinson varied the transparency order in Elsa’s case to allow reporting of the fact that she has two siblings as well as other details.
Only certain other details of the three children, who are Black, can be reported.
Harry and Roman – who now have different names – have since been adopted.
But barrister Kate Claxton, representing Newham London Borough Council, previously told the court that the ongoing investigation means that Elsa’s birth cannot be registered, meaning no final decision regarding her care can be made.
A further hearing in her case is expected to be held at a later date.
Detective Sergeant Laurence Dight, from the Met Police, told the court on Monday that the police investigation into the identity of the parents remained ongoing. Anyone with information regarding the parents’ identities is asked to contact the force using the reference CAD 6876/18 Jan.
