Victorian Coroner Weighs Perjury Referral for Birthkeeper Emily Lal

Coroner Therese McCarthy is considering referring birthkeeper Emily Lal to the Office of Public Prosecutions for potential perjury charges. The referral would follow a forensic analysis of the phone of Stacey Warnecke, a 30-year-old Melbourne mother who died in September 2025 from a postpartum haemorrhage. The inquest, which resumed on Monday after a delay for this digital evidence, has uncovered communications that clash with Lal’s previous sworn testimony.

Warnecke, a nutritionist and wellness influencer, died at Frankston hospital in Frankston, Melbourne. She had given birth at home with Lal present. The court previously heard that Warnecke lost up to 1.5 litres of blood and struggled to breathe after delivering the placenta. Lal asked Warnecke three times if she wanted an ambulance. Warnecke agreed on the third attempt, but she was already seriously unwell when paramedics arrived. She died in hospital hours later after the facility used its entire blood supply in an attempt to save her.

The inquest began in June 2026. Closing submissions were paused while Warnecke’s phone was examined. When hearings restarted, Rachel Ellyard, counsel assisting the coroner, presented the findings. Ellyard stated that the analysis revealed numerous messages in a WhatsApp group chat managed by Lal for women choosing freebirth. A recorded phone call between the two women was also played to the court.

Lal had previously told the court that Warnecke hired her as a supportive friend. Lal claimed the $6,000 payment covered her time, not medical advice. Ellyard argued the phone records directly contradicted this narrative. In the recorded call, Warnecke expressed fear of the hospital. Lal replied, "You should be scared of the hospital," describing it as "a terrifying place." Lal advised that staying home required a mindset that was "so solid" and suggested that midwives at home births sometimes push women to hospitals because the midwives are exhausted.

Ellyard described Lal’s role as grooming clients to resist medical help. "Ms Lal saw her role as to groom her clients into being strong enough to resist the temptation to seek medical help during labor, to seek pain relief during labor, to go to hospital during labor," Ellyard said. She characterized the arrangement as "much more structured, much more deliberate" than a friendship. Ellyard noted that Lal was providing advice, referrals, and selling supplements. She added that Warnecke’s husband, Nathan, was "reassured or indoctrinated" into believing his only role was to sit back and support.

Lal was invited to return to the stand to clarify her testimony following the phone analysis but declined. She had originally testified under a certificate of protection, a legal status that prevents her evidence from being used against her in future proceedings. Ellyard told the coroner she could find that Lal was not truthful and refer the matter to the Office of Public Prosecutions. The office prepares criminal cases on behalf of the director.

Ellyard stated that Warnecke would have survived if she had been in a hospital setting. She noted that postpartum haemorrhage is the most common complication of childbirth and that women in well-resourced countries rarely die from it in hospital. Ellyard added that Warnecke would likely have survived a home birth attended by a registered midwife. The coroner will deliver her final findings at a later date.