Baby Elsa, left in freezing conditions, was the third of three siblings abandoned in the same east London area between 2017 and 2024.
Police are searching for the parents of a newborn baby girl, just an hour old, who was abandoned in a Boots shopping bag in freezing temperatures. The infant, named Elsa, is the third of three siblings left in the same area of East London.
A £20,000 reward is being offered for information that could help identify the parents of Elsa and her older brothers, Roman and Harry.
Marking the first anniversary of Elsa’s discovery by a dog walker on January 18 last year, the Metropolitan Police expressed deep concern for the mother. They believe she may have been living in East London for at least six years.
Elsa was discovered wrapped in a towel inside a shopping bag at the junction of Greenway and High Street South in East Ham, believed to be less than an hour old.
At the time, police suggested she was likely born following a concealed pregnancy. Despite reviewing over 450 hours of CCTV footage, investigators have yet to identify her parents.
In the months following Elsa’s discovery, it was revealed that she had two siblings who had also been abandoned under similar circumstances in the same area of London, in 2017 and 2019.
Detective Inspector Jamie Humm stated: “We have worked with specialists who believe the mother, and possibly the father, have been living in the Plaistow or East Ham area over the past six years.”
Harry was found in September 2017, wrapped in a white blanket on Balaam Street, Plaistow. Roman was discovered in January 2019 during freezing temperatures and snow, abandoned in a play area off Roman Road, Newham.
On Saturday, police announced that the independent group Crimestoppers has offered a £20,000 reward for information provided to the charity. The reward will expire on April 18.
Detective Inspector Jamie Humm of the Met’s child abuse investigation team revealed that they have established a full DNA profile of the mother, who is believed to have been residing in Plaistow or East Ham.
“We have serious concerns for the wellbeing of the parents, particularly the mother, and we continue to work closely with Newham Council while appealing to the public for information,” he said.
“I believe someone in the community may have been aware of the mother’s pregnancies or noticed signs of concern for her welfare. These concerns are shared by the investigation team, and I urge anyone with information, no matter how minor it may seem, to come forward.
“Thanks to advances in forensic DNA work, we can quickly and easily rule out any unconnected individuals, so I encourage anyone to contact the police with confidence.
“I also appeal to professionals in the area, including those in healthcare, social care, education, or the charitable sector, to reflect on whether they may have encountered the mother without realizing her circumstances at the time.”
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.