Inquest hears calls to consider charges against Melbourne birth keeper after mother’s death
A Melbourne inquest has heard calls for prosecutors to consider charges against Emily Lal, a paid “birth keeper” who supported Stacey Warnecke’s plan for a home birth. Warnecke died in hospital in September 2025 from complications of a postpartum haemorrhage, hours after giving birth at home without medical assistance. The case raises questions about the advice offered to pregnant women by people outside regulated health professions.
A recording played at the inquest captured Warnecke asking Lal whether she might be dying during labour, and showed Lal discussing support for home birth. Counsel assisting the coroner said this contradicted Lal’s earlier evidence that she was only a supportive friend, and urged the coroner to refer her to prosecutors over possible perjury and other offences. Lal was paid $6,000, was granted protection from self-incrimination on condition she testified truthfully, and has refused to return for further questioning; perjury in Victoria carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence.
In short
- Inquest hears calls to consider charges against a paid birth adviser.
- Stacey Warnecke died after an unassisted home birth.
- A recording was said to contradict the adviser’s earlier evidence.
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The case for
Those calling for prosecutors to consider charges argue that the recording may conflict with Lal’s evidence and that a truthful account matters to the inquest and public confidence in its findings. Given the seriousness of Warnecke’s death and Lal’s protection from self-incrimination on condition she testify truthfully, referral would let prosecutors assess whether the evidence meets the legal threshold, without prejudging guilt.
The case against
Those urging caution would stress that a coroner’s inquest is not a criminal trial, and an apparent inconsistency or refusal to return for questioning does not by itself prove perjury or responsibility for the death. Any referral should be handled carefully, with Lal’s rights and the distinction between providing non-medical birth support and committing a criminal offence kept clear; charging decisions belong to prosecutors after reviewing the full evidence.
Explained simply
An inquest is a public inquiry into how someone died. In Victoria, a coroner can examine the circumstances and make recommendations, while prosecutors decide whether criminal charges should be brought.
Stacey Warnecke planned to give birth at home and was supported by Emily Lal, who was paid to act as a “birth keeper”. That role is outside regulated health professions, unlike the work of doctors and midwives, whose training and professional standards are formally overseen.
The case concerns what advice and support people outside the health system may provide during pregnancy and labour, and how responsibility is assessed when something goes wrong. It also raises questions about the evidence given to an inquest and the legal protections available to witnesses.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “‘Am I dying’: Mum-to-be’s chilling question to $6,000 ‘birth keeper’ before she died – as inquest is told homebirth guru should face a string of charges over the tragedy”.