Emily Lal Testifies She Delayed Ambulance Call 30 Minutes in Stacey Warnecke Freebirth Death
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 30
Emily Lal Testifies She Delayed Ambulance Call 30 Minutes in Stacey Warnecke Freebirth Death
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 30
Summary
At a Victorian inquest, unlicensed birth attendant Emily Lal said she asked Stacey Warnecke three times about calling an ambulance during a massive postpartum haemorrhage and waited about 30 minutes until Warnecke agreed.
Lal said she would honor a client's prior refusal of medical care even if the woman were unconscious, framing that stance around Free Birth Society teachings that maternal autonomy overrides emergency intervention.
Doctors told the inquest Warnecke's haemorrhage was treatable and preventable with faster hospital care; Frankston hospital staff used their full supply of her blood type before she died after repeated cardiac arrests.
Evidence also detailed Lal's ties to the Free Birth Society: she paid A$6,000 to attend as a "birth keeper," was trained through its three-month online school, and had previously been linked in another inquest into a preventable newborn death.
The inquest remains open pending forensic analysis of Warnecke's phone, while Victoria's health complaints commissioner has already suspended Lal from providing or advertising health services.
After numerous deaths linked to 'freebirthing,' why are women paying thousands for this dangerous ideology?
When online coaches teach a deadly ideology, should they be held legally responsible for the tragic outcomes?
Freebirth Fatality: The Stacey Warnecke Inquest, Digital Evidence, and Australia’s Regulatory Gaps in Unassisted Childbirth
Overview
The inquest into Stacey Warnecke’s death was unexpectedly adjourned in June 2026 after new digital evidence from her phone was presented to the court. This evidence raised important new questions, prompting Coroner Therese McCarthy to postpone any findings or submissions until a thorough analysis could be completed and more evidence gathered if needed. The adjournment highlights the court’s commitment to a careful, evidence-based investigation, ensuring that all significant information is fully considered before drawing conclusions about the circumstances of Stacey Warnecke’s death.