Two women accused of operating as unregistered midwives have been charged with manslaughter after a baby died following a home birth in northern NSW.
Emergency services were called to a home at Karangi, 10km north-west of Coffs Harbour, on 11 September 2022 after a baby was unresponsive following a home birth.
Paramedics treated the newborn boy at the scene before he was airlifted to Coffs Base Hospital, where he later died.
Following inquiries, detectives arrested a 41-year-old woman at Crescent Head on 11 February 2025.
They also arrested a 51-year-old woman at Dorrigo.
“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,” NSW Police said in a statement.
The women 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 yesterday, where the matter was adjourned to the same court on Tuesday 13 May.
