A family court judge has paved the way for the adoption of the third sibling in a 'quite extraordinary' series of abandonments in East London, concluding an eight-year mystery that has baffled police.
An Unprecedented Family Mystery
Three infants, known by the pseudonyms Harry, Roman, and Elsa, were discovered separately in the same area of East London in September 2017, late January 2019, and 18 January 2024 respectively. Despite an exhaustive Metropolitan Police investigation, which included DNA profiling and reviewing hundreds of hours of CCTV, their parents have never been identified.
At East London family court on Thursday, Judge Atkinson ruled that baby Elsa should remain permanently with her foster carers, who can now apply to adopt her. Her siblings, Harry and Roman, have already been adopted into their own families.
The Search for Answers
The case is described by police as 'wholly unprecedented'. Elsa, believed to be only about an hour old, was found by a dog walker in a shopping bag at the edge of a park in East Ham. She was wrapped in a towel and later named by hospital staff after the character from Frozen.
Her brother Roman was discovered in similar circumstances in a Newham play area during freezing weather in 2019, while Harry was found wrapped in a white blanket in Plaistow in 2017.
In her judgment, Judge Atkinson highlighted the rarity of such cases, noting that only eight children were registered as abandoned in England and Wales between 2008 and 2018. She described Elsa as 'a raucous bundle of excitement and laughter' who is 'happy and settled in her new family'.
A Lasting Sibling Bond
While the children's mother remains a mystery, the siblings' future connection is assured. Kate Claxton, representing Newham council, confirmed in written submissions that there will be ongoing contact between the three children, including planned play dates and letters.
Judge Atkinson stated that the siblings share 'something quite extraordinary', understanding each other's unique experience as foundlings in a way no one else likely will.
The police investigation, which at one point involved a £20,000 reward and was narrowed to around 400 homes, has now been concluded as 'exhausted'. Senior investigating officer DI Jamie Humm suggested the person who abandoned the children 'did not want to be found' and may be 'vulnerable' and 'in danger'.
Officers have stated they 'cannot discount' the possibility of a fourth child being found in the future, as this remarkable and tragic family story remains without its crucial first chapter.
