A £20,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to identifying the parents of three siblings who were found abandoned in London over eight years ago, coinciding with the first anniversary of the third child’s discovery.
The Metropolitan Police stated that, despite the review of more than 450 hours of CCTV footage, the parents of the three children—identified as Elsa, Roman, and Harry—remain unknown. However, it is believed that their mother has been living in an area of east London for the past six years.
Elsa was thought to be less than an hour old when she was discovered by a dog walker on 18 January last year, abandoned at the junction of Greenway and High Street South in East Ham, east London.
Subsequently, it was revealed that Elsa has two siblings who were also abandoned under similar circumstances in the same area of London, in 2017 and 2019.
Detective Inspector Jamie Humm from the Met’s child abuse investigation team stated: “We have undertaken extensive inquiries over the past year to locate Elsa’s parents.
“This has included reviewing over 450 hours of CCTV footage and completing a full DNA profile of the mother.
“We have collaborated with broader specialists who believe that the mother, and possibly the father, have been residing in the Plaistow or East Ham area over the last six years.
“We are seriously concerned for the wellbeing of the parents, particularly the mother, and we continue to work closely with Newham Council while also appealing to the public for any information.
“I believe that someone in the area may have been aware of the mother’s pregnancies, and there may have been concerns for her welfare within the community.
“I share these concerns with you; if you have any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, please reach out to us.
“Thanks to the DNA work from our forensic colleagues, police can quickly and accurately eliminate any unrelated individuals, so I urge you to contact us with confidence.
“I also appeal to professionals in fields such as health, care, education, or the charitable sector to reflect on whether they may have interacted with the mother without realizing it at the time.
“The three babies involved in this investigation are thankfully healthy and well, and we are maintaining momentum in our efforts to identify the parents.”
Elsa was found wrapped in a towel inside a reusable shopping bag, which police have also released a new image of, and was kept warm by the dog walker. She was unharmed.
At the time, police indicated that it was “highly likely” she was born after a “concealed pregnancy”.
Officers reported that a woman was seen entering the Greenway from the High Street South entrance at approximately 8:45 PM on 18 January, wearing a large dark coat with a light-colored scarf or hood around her neck and carrying a rucksack.
The BBC noted that, during an initial court hearing, East London Family Court was informed that it took medical staff three hours to record Elsa’s temperature due to the cold weather, with the Met Office indicating that temperatures plummeted to as low as -4°C that night.
Hospital staff gave her the name Elsa, drawing reference from the character in the film Frozen.
In June, Judge Carol Atkinson permitted reporting on the fact that Elsa has two siblings found under similar circumstances in the same London area.
In September 2017, Harry was discovered wrapped in a white blanket on Balaam Street, Plaistow.
Roman was similarly found in a playground off Roman Road, Newham, in late January 2019, as the city was gripped by freezing temperatures and snow.
Harry and Roman—names not used in real life—have since been adopted, and the court was informed that Elsa is “doing very well”.
Judge Atkinson ruled that restrictions should be lifted to allow reporting on the relationship between the children, emphasizing the need for “openness of justice”.
The police investigation into the identities of the children’s parents is ongoing, and anyone with information is urged to contact the police at 101 or reach out via @MetCC referencing Operation Wolcott.
Individuals can also reach out to Crimestoppers anonymously at any time by calling 0800 555 111 or visiting Crimestoppers-uk.org.
The reward is only applicable for information provided directly to Crimestoppers, not to the police, and a reward code must be requested.
Anyone contacting Crimestoppers online should use the “keeping in contact” feature and ask for a reward code.
