Police issue description of woman after baby found in shopping bag
The baby girl, named Elsa by hospital staff, was discovered by a dog walker in east London on January 18.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Police have issued a description of a woman they want to trace after a baby was found in a shopping bag in east London.
The baby girl, who has been named Elsa by hospital staff, was discovered by a dog walker in East Ham on January 18 around 9.15pm.
The Metropolitan Police believe she was less than an hour old when she was found wrapped in a towel in a reuseable shopping bag at the junction of Greenway and High Street South.
The force said on Friday that the baby was “safe and well” and had left hospital, and was “highly likely” to have been born after a “concealed pregnancy”.
They reiterated their appeal to the baby’s mother to come forward, expressing concerns for her welfare, and launched a further appeal for the public’s help in tracking down a woman spotted near the scene half-an-hour before the baby was discovered, as well as a witness who may have seen her.
The woman was spotted entering the Greenway from the High Street South entrance at around 8.45pm last Thursday.
Chief Superintendent Simon Crick, lead for policing in Newham, said the force had had 17 reports from the public since their first appeal.
He said: “My team are continuing their work. We’ve collected a considerable volume of CCTV footage. While we’re still examining it in detail, we have identified a woman we would like to speak to, and a witness who may have seen her.
“We believe the woman is black, was wearing a large dark coat with a light-coloured scarf or hood around her neck and had a rucksack on her back.
“We believe this woman entered the Greenway from High Street South and left the Greenway heading in the direction of Fabian Street.
“We’re also keen to identify a witness who we think could have seen this woman in the vicinity of the Greenway.
“He is believed to be male, wearing a dark-coloured hooded coat with a backpack. The coat or backpack has a reflective strip on the rear of it. He exited the Greenway to the left at around 9.10pm.”
I want to appeal directly again to Baby Elsa’s mother. Your daughter is safe and well, but we need make sure that you are too. You might need urgent medical care and support, and we can help you
Mr Crick urged anyone with information to contact police “immediately”.
He said officers had spoken to local hospitals, social workers and charities.
“All of the information we have so far suggests it’s highly likely Baby Elsa was born after a concealed pregnancy and was not a service user of these agencies,” the officer said.
“I want to appeal directly again to Baby Elsa’s mother.
“Your daughter is safe and well, but we need make sure that you are too. You might need urgent medical care and support, and we can help you. Please call 999 and speak to us, or go to hospital.”
All of us are looking at this from a position of privilege in that we have no idea what Baby Elsa’s mother is going through
Mr Crick also addressed a “small number” of online comments that had been “abusive and negative”, condemning them as “unnecessary and unhelpful”.
“All of us are looking at this from a position of privilege in that we have no idea what Baby Elsa’s mother is going through,” he said.
“Please consider what you post – and the possibility that she might even read it – and help us with our primary aim of identifying her to make sure that she’s OK.”
Anyone who believes they know who the child’s mother is is asked to call 999 using the reference CAD 6876/18 Jan.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.