Baby found in shopping bag has two siblings who were also abandoned, court heard

A little girl found abandoned in a shopping bag in east London earlier this year has two siblings who were found in similar circumstances in 2017 and 2019, it can now be said.

A judge at East London Family Court ruled on Monday that reporting restrictions could be changed to allow the bond between the three children to be published, following an application by the PA news agency and the BBC.

It comes after the baby, named Baby Elsa by hospital staff, was found by a dog walker in Newham on January 18 this year in sub-zero temperatures.

DNA tests have since shown he has a brother and sister, known as Baby Harry and Baby Roman, who were found abandoned in similar circumstances in the same area of ​​the capital in 2017 and 2019 respectively.

The children’s parents have not yet been identified, as the Metropolitan Police’s investigation into their identity is ongoing.

Officers believe a woman seen in the area just before Elsa was found may have vital information.

He wore a large dark coat with a light colored scarf or hood around his neck and carried a rucksack.

On Monday, Judge Carol Atkinson ruled that the restrictions should be lifted to allow the relationship between the children to be reported, saying it was necessary to “open justice”.

She said: “There is a clear public interest in reporting this story.

“Abandonment of a child in this country is a very, very unusual event and there are years when there are no abandoned children and because of that the story of a child being abandoned is of public interest.”

She continued: “For the same reason, in our society today, of enormous interest and importance, people know that there is a mother and a father out there who felt the need to give up their children in this way, three times, and that is of considerable interest, it seems to me.

“If I restrict those rights and the reporting of that story, I think that has an impact on public awareness of these types of matters. It limits the openness of justice.”

While journalists can usually attend family court proceedings, reporting restrictions limit what can be published to protect the anonymity of those involved.

A pilot scheme to increase transparency in the family court system, which started with three courts in 2023, was extended earlier this year to allow accredited journalists and legal bloggers to report on cases in 16 courts in England and Wales.

Judges can determine what details can be reported under a Transparency Order, with journalists also being allowed access to some documents.

Following an application by the PA and the BBC, Judge Atkinson varied the Transparency Order in Elsa’s case to allow the fact that she has two brothers and other details to be reported.

Only certain other details of the three children, who are black, can be reported.

Little Elsa was believed to be less than an hour old when she was found abandoned in a shopping bag at the junction of the Greenway and High Street South in East Ham on January 18 this year.

Her sister, Baby Roman, was found in similar circumstances in a play area off Roman Road, Newham, at the end of January 2019 as freezing temperatures and snow gripped the capital.

In September 2017, Baby Harry was found wrapped in a white blanket in Balaam Street, Plaistow.

Harry and Roman – not their real names – have since been adopted.

But barrister Kate Claxton, representing Newham London Borough Council, previously told the court that the ongoing investigation meant Elsa’s birth could not be registered, so no final decision could be made about her care.

Another hearing in her case is expected to take place at a later date.

Detective Sergeant Laurence Dight, of the Metropolitan Police, told the court on Monday that the police investigation into the identity of the parents was continuing, with anyone with information on the identity of the parents asked to contact the force using reference CAD 6876/18. Jan.

In a statement on Tuesday, the force said it had made extensive inquiries, including media appeals, reviewing CCTV, going door-to-door and examining forensic evidence.

Detective Inspector Jamie Humm, who is based in Newham, said: “We understand the significant public interest that will come from lifting restrictions on the reporting of this information.

“This is significant news and our work has been focused on trying to locate the mother and provide her with support.

“We have been working 24/7 in each of these three cases to identify the parents, so far without success.

“We also had to be mindful of the sensitivities that exist now, all children are looked after. Their well-being, including their privacy, is paramount.

“We are continuing to investigate and will consider the next steps in our investigation.”