Unregistered midwives face court charged with manslaughter after home-birth death of NSW baby

Two women who police allege practised as unregistered midwives have been charged with manslaughter after a baby died after a home birth on the New South Wales mid north coast.

The women, aged 41 and 51, appeared in Coffs Harbour local court on Wednesday in relation to the newborn boy’s death in 2022.

Emergency services were called to a home in Karangi, north-west of Coffs Harbour, when the baby was unresponsive after the home birth on 11 September 2022, NSW police said in a statement.

Paramedics treated the baby before he was airlifted to Coffs Harbour base hospital where he died.

Police allege the younger woman was an unregistered midwife at the time of the birth while the older woman held no medical qualifications and had been practising unregistered home-birth midwifery.

Detectives on 11 February this year arrested the 41-year-old at Crescent Head and the 51-year-old at Dorrigo. They were taken to local police stations and charged with manslaughter.

They were granted bail before appearing in court on Wednesday, where the matter was adjourned to the same court on 13 May.