Search for Mother of Three Abandoned Babies Narrows as Police Fear Fourth Child May Be Found
Police in London are redoubling their efforts to find the mother of three babies who were abandoned in the city over a seven-year period, amid growing concerns that a fourth child may be discovered.
According to Sky News, officers have focused their inquiries on a specific area of east London, with members of the public being asked to provide voluntary DNA samples to help locate the mother.
The three babies, named Harry, Roman, and Elsa, were abandoned in 2017, 2019, and 2024, respectively. They were all found within a few miles of each other, with each child discovered in an area where there are no CCTV cameras.
A full DNA profile of the mother has been established by investigators, but despite this, hundreds of hours of CCTV footage and a £20,000 reward being offered earlier this year, she remains unidentified.
"We are doing everything we possibly can to find the mother of these children," a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told Sky News. "We are treating the mother as a victim in this case, and we are on standby to support her with everything she needs."
Detective Inspector Jamie Humm, the senior investigating officer, believes the mother "is in danger" and is appealing to the public for assistance. "The hypothesis that, as senior investigating officer, I believe is most likely, is that the mother of these children is vulnerable, is in danger, and is in a position where they feel that they are unable to come forward for whatever reason," he said.
The investigation has been ongoing for several years, with police concluding that the person who abandoned the babies "did not want to be found". However, DI Humm remains hopeful that the public will come forward with information to help identify the mother.
As Sky News reports, Noel McHugh, national senior investigating officer adviser for the South East at the National Crime Agency, described it as a "miracle" that the children survived the conditions they were abandoned in.
Elsa was found wrapped in a towel in a reusable shopping bag at the junction of Greenway and High Street South in East Ham, in sub-zero temperatures, on 18 January 2024. Roman was discovered in similar circumstances a short distance away in a play area off Roman Road, Newham, in late January 2019, as snow gripped the capital. The eldest of the three, Harry, was found wrapped in a white blanket in Balaam Street, Plaistow, in September 2017.
Police are now focusing their efforts on a specific area of East Ham and Plaistow, with officers carrying out house-to-house enquiries and requesting voluntary DNA samples from residents.
Roman and Harry have already been adopted, while family court proceedings related to Elsa are continuing. The court was previously told Elsa’s birth cannot be registered, and no final decision on her care has been made due to the ongoing investigation.
As the search for the mother continues, police are urging anyone with information to come forward. "We can’t be blind to the fact that there may be a fourth [baby]," DI Humm said. "And certainly the passage of time and the cycles of nine months it would take to potentially get pregnant and birth a child, mean that we cannot discount that."
The investigation is ongoing, with police working to piece together the circumstances surrounding the abandonment of the three babies. Anyone with information is urged to contact Sky News or the Metropolitan Police.
In a bid to locate the mother, police are working tirelessly to gather intelligence and follow up leads. The community is being urged to assist in any way possible to bring this case to a resolution.
According to Sky News, the mother is believed to be vulnerable and in need of support. Police are urging anyone with information to come forward and assist in locating her.
As this is a long-standing case, police are appealing for anyone who may have information from previous years to come forward. The investigation remains ongoing, and Sky News will provide updates as more information becomes available.
In related news, police are urging residents in the area to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity. The community is coming together to support the investigation and assist in locating the mother.
The authorities are working hard to conclude this case and ensure the best possible outcome for all parties involved. Further updates will be provided by Sky News as the investigation unfolds.
