Police have launched a criminal probe after a human placenta was discovered by a schoolboy in a city centre park three months ago.
The placenta was discovered by a teenager, 15, while he was walking to school with two friends through Holly Brook Park in Southampton on June 21.
Police are now investigating whether a crime, the unlawful concealment of the birth of a child, has taken place between June 17 and the date of the shocking discovery.
Officers arrested a 25-year-old woman on suspicion of concealment of the birth of a child but released her with no further action following DNA tests.
She was the second woman to have been arrested in the probe, but both have been released without charge after officers discounted them from the investigation.
Police have launched a criminal probe after a human placenta was found in a Southampton city centre park in June
Police are still appealing for information and say they have ‘very serious concerns’ about the wellbeing of both the mother and baby involved – as neither have been identified.
The force said on Monday that as their investigation reached the three-month mark they are now probing the possibility that a crime has been committed.
‘Now, more than three months since the placenta was found, we are looking into the possibility of criminal offences,’ the force said in a statement.
‘On Thursday, as part of our most recent line of enquiry, a 25-year-old woman from Southampton was arrested on suspicion of the concealment of the birth of a child.
‘Following urgent DNA enquiries she has been discounted from our investigation and released from custody with no further action to be taken against her.’
Detective Chief Inspector Elizabeth Pirie said: ‘We still have very serious concerns for the well-being of both the mother and baby in this case, and these concerns have only increased over time as we have not yet identified them.
‘We recognise, that for whatever reason, the woman who has given birth has not felt able to speak to us.’
She said that officers are ‘keeping an open mind’ as to what has happened due to the time that has passed believe they are now ‘investigating the unlawful concealment of the birth of a child’.
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She added: ‘We have now made two arrests throughout the course of this investigation – we want people to know that we do not take these decisions lightly and both arrests were considered necessary in order to allow us to progress our enquiries.
‘We have to consider the possibility that a criminal offence has been committed and need to get to the bottom of what has occurred so that we can ensure that both the mother and child involved are both ok, and if they are not, we need to investigate this.
Police now believe that as it has been three months since the shocking discovery, that the unlawful concealment of the birth of a child has taken place
‘We are now confident that both women previously arrested are not linked to this discovery and have eliminated them from the investigation.’
At the time, DCI Pirie said that cops recognise that the woman involved may be fearful of identifying herself but that she needs to come forward so herself and the baby can receive the support they need.
Year nine student Jamie Clarke found the afterbirth on a footpath off Dale Road, near Holly Brook Park while on his way to school in June.
He said: ‘I was going down the path to meet my mate. We saw a football by the bush and went to get it and when we were coming back to the road, that’s when I saw it.
‘At first I thought it was a bit of an animal but when we saw it, it didn’t look like an animal. It just didn’t look like it, it was too big so we decided to call the police.’
Officers arrived at the scene in under ten minutes and cordoned off the area. They used drones and tracker dogs in a desperate search for the mother.
In August, Hampshire police also released a photo of a man they wanted to question.
They said at the time: ‘As part of our enquiries into the discovery, which took place on Wednesday 21 June in the Holly Brook Park area, we have been reviewing large amounts of footage, covering a number of days, from the nearby area and now have this image of a man who we believe may have information to assist us.
‘This man is believed to have been in the Dale Road/Holly Brook Park area on Saturday 1 July at around midday. If this is you, or you know who he is, we urge you to make contact with police as soon as possible.
‘We are also still keen to speak to anyone who has concerns for someone close to them who may have recently given birth, whether it be a friend, family member, co-worker or anyone within their local community.’
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the mother and baby or what happened in June has been urged to call 101 quoting reference 44230246419/Op Holdo.
