One Year Since Elsa Was Found Abandoned, Police Still Seeking Her Parents
It has been one year since the discovery of Elsa, a newborn baby found abandoned in East London, and authorities are still working to locate her parents, according to a press release from the Metropolitan Police on January 18, 2025.
Elsa was found on January 18, 2024, after a concerned individual reported finding a newborn wrapped in a towel and placed inside a shopping bag at 9:13 p.m. local time. Thankfully, Elsa was uninjured and was taken to a hospital, where she was later discharged and placed into care. However, the investigation into her abandonment revealed a disturbing connection to two other similar cases of newborn abandonment.
The authorities found that Elsa was biologically related to two other abandoned babies, who were discovered under similar circumstances in previous years. In 2017, a newborn boy named “Baby Harry” was found abandoned in a park in Newham, and another child, “Baby Roman,” was discovered in a children’s play park in 2019. DNA tests confirmed that Elsa, Harry, and Roman are siblings, reported BBC.
As the investigation progresses, authorities are continuing their efforts to locate the parents of the three children. The Metropolitan Police has been working closely with Crimestoppers, a charity independent of the police, to offer a reward for any information that may help in the case.
Detective Inspector Jamie Humm of the Metropolitan Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Team stated, “We have carried out extensive inquiries over the past year to try and locate Elsa’s parents.” The investigation, which has been ongoing since Baby Roman was found in 2019, has involved over 450 hours of reviewing CCTV footage and the full DNA analysis of the children’s mother. Investigators believe they may have narrowed down the location of the parents to the Plaistow or East Ham areas.
The investigation has raised serious concerns about the well-being of the parents, particularly the mother. Humm expressed his worries, saying, “We have serious concerns for the well-being of the parents, especially the mother, and are continuing to work closely with Newham Council and appeal for the public’s help for information.”
Humm also urged anyone in the local community, especially professionals in healthcare, education, or social services, to come forward if they have any information about the family. “I believe that someone in the area will have been aware of the mother’s pregnancies,” he said, urging individuals to contact the authorities with any potential information.
Despite the ongoing investigation, Humm confirmed that Elsa, Harry, and Roman are all healthy and well. The Metropolitan Police continue to build momentum in the search to identify their parents and bring closure to this long-standing case.