Doula Could Face Charges After Influencer's Birth Death
Counsel says recorded calls and messages contradict her evidence and show she promoted home birth, quoted $6,000 and discouraged hospital transfer.
- On Monday, Counsel assisting the coroner Rachel Ellyard urged Coroner Therese McCarthy to refer 'birth keeper' Emily Lal to the Office of Public Prosecutions for potential perjury following newly discovered evidence.
- Stacey Warnecke died in September 2025 from postpartum hemorrhage after an unassisted 'freebirth' overseen by Lal. Counsel Ellyard argued a midwife's presence 'would have made the difference between life and death.'
- A 35-minute phone call from January 2025 revealed Lal charged $6,000 to 'strengthen and fortify' Warnecke's resolve against hospital intervention. Counsel Ellyard alleged the doula 'groomed' the mother, viewing transfers as 'personal failure' rather than supportive friend.
- Absent from the inquest, Lal did not respond to the new perjury allegations. Coroner McCarthy will hand down findings at a later date, while Lal previously claimed she 'didn't want to do it anymore' after Warnecke's death.
- WhatsApp evidence from October 14, 2025, indicates Lal continued attending births despite claims of inactivity. The doula allegedly told groups she deactivated her Instagram because 'there are some things going on,' while maintaining word-of-mouth referrals.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
Doula ‘groomed’ mother to view hospital care as failure before fatal home birth, coroner told
In a 30-minute-long phone call with Stacey Warnecke, free birth advocate Emily Lal described childbirth as “the death of the maiden” and “birth of the woman”.
‘Am I dying?’: Secret tape reveals doula ‘groomed’ influencer before fatal freebirth
A coroner has been urged to seek criminal charges for a controversial ‘birthkeeper’ after a secret tape revealed how she “groomed” nutrition influencer Stacey Warnecke against seeking medical help before her fatal freebirth.
Mum-to-Be’s Chilling Question to $6,000 ‘Birth Keeper’ Before Death
NewsFinale NewsFinale Journal A so-called “birth keeper” who charged a pregnant woman $6,000 before she died during childbirth should face potential criminal charges over her death, a coroner has been told. The Melbourne inquest heard Emily Lal viewed her role as helping to “strengthen and fortify” women’s determination to give birth at home rather than in hospital, regardless […]
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