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Banned doula Emily Lal has been ordered to give evidence to a coronial inquest into the death of a Melbourne wellness influencer Stacey Warnecke, who suffered a fatal haemorrhage following a so-called free birth.
Lal, who was present during Warnecke’s catastrophic birth in September 2025, has so far refused to provide a statement to investigators about what happened in the lead-up to the first-time mother’s death.
The Coroners Court heard on Wednesday that Lal has sought to be excused on the grounds of self-incrimination.
But counsel assisting the coroner, Rachel Ellyard, said Lal’s version of events was crucial.
“She was present at the birth, can be heard on the Triple Zero call, and she was involved, as we understand, in the clearing up of the house after the birth,” Ellyard said.
“[This] makes her a highly relevant witness to the events of the birth and to the events of Stacey’s deterioration before she was taken to hospital.”
Coroner Therese McCarthy ordered a witness summons be served to Lal, adding she was prepared to provide a certificate to protect evidence being used against her.
“Ms Lal is a crucial part of the picture leading up to the death of Ms Warnecke,” McCarthy said.
“I really hope that Ms Lal agrees to participate in the proceeding.”
Warnecke died on September 29 after giving birth to her son, Axel, in a water bath at her Seaford home in Melbourne’s south-east.
The medical examiner has proposed the cause of death was a “postpartum haemorrhage in the setting of a home birth”.
An earlier direction hearing in December revealed that the 30-year-old nutritionist appeared well after giving birth at 3am, but rapidly deteriorated after she passed the placenta and began losing a large volume of blood.
Warnecke was rushed to Frankston Hospital by ambulance in a critical condition at 5am, accompanied by her husband, Nathan, Lal and their newborn son, Axel, who survived the ordeal.
In an extensive effort mounted by 24 clinicians to save Warnecke’s life over the following six hours, the hospital ultimately exhausted its entire supply of a key blood type.
This included inserting a balloon to stem the bleeding, performing an emergency hysterectomy and treatment to remove a large amount of fluid that had gathered around her heart.
The court previously heard that when police visited the home to photograph the scene, they were told Lal had extensively cleaned the scene of the tragic birth.
The coronial inquest is set to run from June 15 to 19 and will investigate the cause of Warnecke’s death, the extent to which doulas can advertise themselves, and the impact of free-birthing on the health system.
It will also examine the maternity care available for women who don’t want to give birth in hospital and the contact between Warnecke and Lal in the lead-up to Axel’s birth.
In October, Victoria’s Health Complaints Commission issued a public warning about Lal and said she was under investigation after allegations were made that she “is facilitating and/or participating in home births which may put both mothers and babies at risk”.
This masthead revealed on Sunday that at least 13 babies had died following so-called free births in Victoria over the past five years, while a further 11 have suffered potential lifelong brain injuries.
A free birth is an unassisted birth that takes place without any registered medical or midwifery professionals present.
Experts say the rise in free-birthing is linked to medical scepticism brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Coroners Court previously heard that Warnecke was profoundly affected by the COVID-19 vaccine mandates that were introduced in 2021.
The nutritionist received no medical care during her pregnancy, had no ultrasounds and did not consult a midwife or obstetrician.
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Henrietta Cook is a senior reporter covering health for The Age. Henrietta joined The Age in 2012 and has previously covered state politics, education and consumer affairs.Connect via X, Facebook or email.From our partners
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