Police are hunting for the parents of an hour-old baby girl abandoned in a Boots shopping bag in freezing temperatures, after she was found to be the third of three siblings left in the same area of London.
A reward of £20,000 is being offered for information leading to the identification of the mother and father of baby Elsa and her older brothers Roman and Harry.
In an appeal issued on the first anniversary of Elsa’s discovery by a dog walker on January 18 last year, the Metropolitan Police said they have serious concerns for the mother, who they believe may have been living in the East London area for at least six years.
Elsa was believed to be less than an hour old when she was found wrapped in towel inside a shopping bag at the junction of Greenway and High Street South in East Ham, east London.
Police said at the time that it was “highly likely” that she was born after a “concealed pregnancy”. However, despite detectives reviewing more than 450 hours of CCTV, her parents remain unidentified.
In the months that followed it was found that she had two siblings who were also abandoned in similar circumstances in the same area of London in 2017 and 2019.
We have also worked with wider specialists who are of the view that the mum and possibly also the father have been residing in the Plaistow or East Ham area over the past six years
In September 2017, Harry was found wrapped in a white blanket in Balaam Street, Plaistow. Roman was found in similar circumstances in a play area off Roman Road, Newham, in late January 2019, as freezing temperatures and snow gripped the city.
On Saturday, police said that the independent group Crimestoppers had offered a £20,000 reward for information passed to the charity, which will expire on 18 April.
Detective Inspector Jamie Humm, of the Met’s child abuse investigation team, said they have built a full DNA profile of the mother, who is likely to have been living in Plaistow or East Ham.
“We have serious concerns for the wellbeing of the parents, especially the mother, and are continuing to work closely with Newham Council and appeal for the public’s help for information,” he said.
“I believe that someone in the area will have been aware of the mother’s pregnancies and that within the community there may be (or) have been concerns for this mother’s welfare.
“I share these concerns with you, so if you have any information, no matter how small it may seem, please contact us.
“Thanks to the DNA work of forensic colleagues, police will be able to eliminate any unconnected person quickly and easily, as such I would ask you to contact police with confidence.
“I would also appeal to professionals in the area, such as those in health, care, education or the charitable sector, to consider whether they have encountered the mother without realising it at the time.
“The three babies in this investigation are thankfully healthy and well, and we are continuing momentum behind this investigation to identify the parents.”
Police have issued an image of the reusable Boots shopping bag Elsa was found inside.
Officers said a woman was spotted entering the Greenway from the High Street South entrance at about 8.45pm on January 18 last year, wearing a large, dark-coloured coat with a light-coloured scarf or hood around her neck, and was carrying a rucksack.
The BBC reported that at an initial court hearing, East London Family Court was told it took doctors three hours to record Elsa’s temperature because of the cold, and the Met Office said that temperatures dropped to as low as minus 4C on the night she was found.
Hospital staff named her Elsa in a reference to the character from the film Frozen.
In June, Judge Carol Atkinson allowed reporting of the fact that Elsa has two siblings, who were found in similar circumstances in the same area of London.
Harry and Roman – not their real names – have since been adopted, and the court was told that Elsa is “doing very well”.
Judge Atkinson ruled restrictions should be lifted to allow the reporting of the relationship between the children, saying it was needed for the “openness of justice”.
The police investigation into the identity of the children’s parents continues, and anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or post @MetCC ref Operation Wolcott.
People can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously at any time on 0800 555 111 or via Crimestoppers-uk.org.
