£20,000 reward offered to find parents of three abandoned siblings in London

18 January 2025 , 12:45

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Crimestoppers is offering £20,000 for information that helps locate the parents of three abandoned sibling babies.

It comes exactly one year after the youngest was discovered alive in a shopping bag in freezing temperatures in East Ham, east London.

The infant, just one hour old, was named Elsa after the character in the hit Disney film Frozen as she was so cold.

Baby Harry and baby Roman, meanwhile, were found in similar circumstances in the same part of the capital in September 2017 and February 2019 respectively.

DNA tests showed all three are full siblings. The children, whose names have since been changed, are said to be in good health.

The parents, however, have still not been found.

Alongside the Crimestopper’s reward offer, the Metropolitan Police have released an appeal for information that might help them locate the pair.

EMBARGOED TO 0001 SATURDAY JANUARY 18 Undated handout photo issued by the Metropolitan Police of the Boots bag in which Baby Elsa was found abandoned by a dog walker in Newham, east London, on January 18 2024, released by police on the anniversary of her discovery. Baby Elsa was believed to be less than an hour old when she was found abandoned by a dog walker on January 18 last year, at the junction of Greenway and High Street South in East Ham, east London. In the months that followed, it was found that she had two siblings who were also abandoned in similar circumstances in the same area of London, in 2017 and 2019. Issue date: Saturday January 18, 2025. PA Photo. A ?20,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the identification of the parents of three siblings found abandoned in London over eight years, on the first anniversary of the third child being found. See PA story ANNIVERSARY Newham. Photo credit should read: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. eiqekiddziquuprw

Police have released a picture of the bag Elsa was found in (Picture: Metropolitan Police)

The junction of the Greenway and High Street South in Newham, east London, where a newborn baby was found in a shopping bag by a dog walker. The girl, who police say is well and not injured, was discovered wrapped in a towel and inside the bag on Thursday evening. Picture date: Friday January 19, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story POLICE Baby. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire

The junction of the Greenway and High Street South in East Ham, east London, where Elsa was discovered (Picture: PA)

They’ve also shared a photo of the Boots shopping bag Elsa was found in at the junction of the Greenway and High Street South.

Detective inspector Jamie Humm, of the Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: ‘We have carried out extensive enquiries over the past year to try and locate Elsa’s parents.

‘This has involved reviewing over 450 hours of CCTV and completing a full DNA structure of the mother.

‘We have also worked with wider specialists who are of the view that the mum and possibly also the father have been residing in the Plaistow or East Ham area over the past six years.

‘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.

‘The three babies in this investigation are thankfully healthy and well, and we are continuing momentum behind this investigation to identify the parents.’

DI Humm said he believes someone in the area will have been aware of the mother’s pregnancies and concerned for her welfare.

He added: ‘I share these concerns with you so if you have any information, no matter how small it may seem, please contact us.

File handout photo supplied by the Metropolitan Police showing a baby boy, known as Baby Harry, who was found abandoned in a park area near Balaam Street in Plaistow, east London, on September 17, 2017. Issue date: Tuesday June 4, 2024. PA Photo. A judge at a family court has ruled it can be reported that a child found in a shopping bag in east London earlier this year has two siblings who were abandoned in similar circumstances. Photo credit should read: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire

Baby Harry was the first baby to be found in 2017 (Picture: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire)

File handout photo supplied by the Metropolitan Police showing a baby girl, known as Baby Roman, who was found abandoned in a park in Newham, east London, on January 31, 2019. Issue date: Tuesday June 4, 2024. PA Photo. A judge at a family court has ruled it can be reported that a child found in a shopping bag in east London earlier this year has two siblings who were abandoned in similar circumstances. Photo credit should read: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire

Baby Roman was found abandoned in a park in 2019 (Picture: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire)

‘Thanks to the DNA work of forensic colleagues, police will be able to eliminate any unconnected person quickly and easily, as such I would ask you to contact police with confidence.

‘I would also appeal to professionals in the area, such as those in health, care, education or the charitable sector to consider whether they have encountered the mother without realising it at the time.’

The £20,000 reward is only available to those giving information directly to the charity.

Information passed to the police will not qualify for the reward.

Anyone speaking to Crimestoppers will remain anonymous.

Visit Crimestoppers-uk.org or call 0800 555 111.

George MacGregor

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East Ham, Children, London