Two women have appeared in court charged with manslaughter after a home birth at a property north-west of Coffs Harbour.
Emergency services had been called to a home at Karangi, on Sunday 11 September 2022, after a baby was unresponsive following a home birth.
NSW Ambulance paramedics attended and treated a newborn boy at the scene before he was airlifted to Coffs Base Hospital, where he later died.
Detectives attached to Coffs/Clarence Police District commenced inquiries and, on 11 February 2025, arrested a 41-year-old woman at Crescent Head, and a 51-year-old woman at Dorrigo.
They were taken to Coffs Harbour and Kempsey police stations where they were each charged with manslaughter.
They were granted bail before appearing in Coffs Harbour Local Court today (Wednesday 12 March 2025), where the matter was adjourned to the same court on Tuesday 13 May 2025.
Police will allege in court 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.
