The Metropolitan police have urged the public to refrain from making “unnecessary and unhelpful” comments about a newborn found alive in a shopping bag last week.
The force used its latest appeal for information to say those commenting had no idea what the baby’s mother was going through, and gave a description of two people they would like to speak to.
The newborn girl, whom hospital staff named Elsa after the main character form Frozen, was found wrapped in blankets last Friday in Newham, east London. Officers said they believed Elsa was born after a concealed pregnancy.
The Met has identified two people it wants to speak to. Ch Supt Simon Crick, lead for policing in Newham, said: “Baby Elsa is safe and well. I’m sure people will have seen recent reporting that she has now left hospital.
“My team are continuing their work. We’ve collected a considerable volume of CCTV footage. While we’re still examining it in detail, we have identified a woman we would like to speak to, and a witness who may have seen her.
“We believe the woman is black, was wearing a large dark coat with a light-coloured scarf or hood around her neck and had a rucksack on her back. We believe this woman entered the Greenway from High Street South and left the Greenway heading in the direction of Fabian Street.
“We’re also keen to identify a witness who we think could have seen this woman in the vicinity of the Greenway. He is believed to be male, wearing a dark-coloured hooded coat with a backpack. The coat or backpack has a reflective strip on the rear of it. He exited the Greenway to the left at about 9.10pm.
“If you have information about these people – or you think I might be describing you – I urge you to please, please contact us immediately. It could turn out that you have nothing to do with it, but it’s still incredibly helpful for us to know so we can focus our efforts on other avenues instead.
“I want to appeal directly again to baby Elsa’s mother. Your daughter is safe and well, but we need make sure that you are too. You might need urgent medical care and support, and we can help you. Please call 999 and speak to us, or go to hospital.
“Lastly, I’d like to say that although comments online have been largely incredibly kind, supportive and understanding, there have been a small number of abusive and negative comments that are both unnecessary and unhelpful. All of us are looking at this from a position of privilege in that we have no idea what baby Elsa’s mother is going through.”
Anyone who believes they know the identity of the child’s mother has been asked to call 999, quoting ref CAD 6876/18 Jan.
