Southampton placenta: Afterbirth buried for 'cultural' reasons

The human afterbirth was discovered on June 21 last year after being placed in the ground and then unearthed, probably by an animal.

As reported in the Daily Echo, police have found the mother and her baby and established that no crime was committed.

Now officers have disclosed that the placenta appears to have been buried in line with certain ethnic practices.

They also revealed that the investigation took eight months because the family was unaware of the search, despite the intense publicity it generated.

A 15-year-old schoolboy found the placenta in Holly Brook Park, off Dale Road in Shirley.

Police say their priority throughout the inquiry was always the welfare of the mother and her baby, but they also needed to be certain that no criminal act had taken place.

READ MORE: Police investigating the discovery of a human placenta say mother and baby have been found safe and well

A large team of officers led by Detective Chief Inspector Elizabeth Pirie pursued endless lines of enquiry.

Armed with DNA analysis of the family's ethnicity, they reached out to the relevant communities in the city. Working with the NHS they also checked records relating to births and deaths over a 5-10-day period and tried to establish which mothers had taken their placenta home.

Police launched a major investigation after a human placenta was found in June last year (Image: Newsquest.)

A huge amount of time was spent cross-referencing data as well as using a process of elimination to narrow down the search.

Eventually, they zeroed in on a particular family and used DNA to confirm they had found the right people.

Southampton Chief Inspector Marcus Kennedy said: "They weren't aware of the media's involvement and didn't see what we had put out.

"But once they were made aware they were really happy to engage with us and very pleased for the police support. They are lovely people - a great family."

Asked why the placenta was buried he said the reason appeared to be cultural.

He added: "During the investigation, our priority was always the welfare of the mother and her child. I know how traumatic childbirth can be and how the mother always needs medical support afterwards."

Chief Inspector Kennedy said he was "comfortable" with the time taken to solve the mystery and the number of officers involved in the inquiry.

"Given the circumstances, I think the public would have expected us to carry out a very thorough investigation. I'm just pleased it has come to a positive conclusion."

The family lives in the city but is not being identified to protect their privacy.