Baby Elsa, the latest infant to be discovered, was found by a dog-walker in January on the coldest night of the year, wrapped in a towel inside a bag. Remarkably, despite the sub-zero temperatures, she was described as crying and responsive. Medical assessments indicated she was born only an hour before being found, and while extremely cold, she has since been reported to be doing well in foster care.

The tragic connection between these three abandoned infants was confirmed through rigorous DNA testing, which revealed that all three children are full siblings. An expert witness in the case emphasised that the genetic findings provided extremely strong scientific support for this conclusion. Despite extensive efforts by the Metropolitan Police to trace the children's parents, no identification has been made.

The circumstances of these abandonments have drawn significant public attention. Judge Carol Atkinson of the East London Family Court permitted the BBC and PA Media to report the sibling link, recognising the significant public interest in such a rare and distressing series of events. “Abandonment of a baby in this country is a very, very unusual event,” Judge Atkinson noted, highlighting the importance of public awareness in these cases.

The Metropolitan Police have expressed concern that reporting such cases might inadvertently encourage similar actions by other struggling parents. However, the court ruled in favor of transparency, citing the need for open justice and the potential for public reporting to aid in locating the children's parents.

The older siblings, Baby Harry and Baby Roman, have since been adopted, and efforts are being made to ensure that all three children will be aware of their familial connections as they grow up. Plans are in place for them to have some form of contact in the future.

The rarity of such abandonments in modern Britain underscores the exceptional nature of this case. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed no recorded cases of abandoned babies in England and Wales from 2012 to 2015, with only one case in 2011. Academic research, however, estimates a higher incidence, with about 16 cases per year between 1998 and 2005.

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