How two banned ‘midwives’ could be back working within days despite being charged with MANSLAUGHTER over the death of a newborn baby

By CAITLIN POWELL FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 13:52 GMT, 13 March 2025 | Updated: 13:52 GMT, 13 March 2025

Two women accused of manslaughter after the death of a newborn baby could return to work within days.

Police arrested Christina Meyer, 41, and Penelope ‘Penny’ Burrows, 51, on February 11 after a baby died following a home birth at Karangi, west of Coffs Harbour on September 11, 2022. 

The women, accused of operating as ‘unregistered midwives’, appeared in Coffs Harbour Local Court on Wednesday, each facing one charge of manslaughter.

While they have not entered a plea, the Health Care Complaints Commission published interim prohibition orders for both women on March 21, 2023, renewing them on February 4, 2025.

They ‘must not under any circumstances provide, or cause to be provided, any health services, either in paid employment or voluntarily, to any member of the public’.

But the order expires on April 1, over a month before the women next appear in court. 

After their arrests, the women were taken to Coffs Harbour and Kempsey police station where the charges were laid.

After their first court appearance, both women were granted bail and the matter was adjourned to Coffs Harbour Local Court on May 13. 

Health Care Complaints Commission issued interim prohibition orders for Christina Meyer (pictured) and Penelope Burrows (not pictured)

Penelope Burrows (pictured) has previously run a local sourdough bakery and planted medicinal herbs in a community garden

Burrows is an ‘accredited childbirth educator’ who says she has over 20 years supporting families through postpartum.

‘For 17 of those years I have worked as a birthkeeper, trained by apprenticeship in the art of being with birth, herbal medicine for the childbearing year and craniosacral therapy,’ a profile on a postpartum website said.

‘I am dedicated to reinspiring my community about the necessity of comprehensive postnatal care and deep rest at this time for the long term health and wellbeing of our women.’

Local to Dorrigo in NSW, she previously owned a sourdough bakery and planted a medicinal herbs in North Bank Road Community Garden in Bellingen.

‘[I want to] make sure that all these herbs are growing and available to us in this area,’ she told Coffs Coast Advocate in 2010.

‘So many of the medicinal herbs used in Australia are imported.’

Burrows described drying chamomile and calendula, which were used as a remedy for wounds, rashes and skin complaints. 

‘It’s been incredibly satisfying to see [the plants] all the way through, from seeds to harvest, and now be drying the flowers, and making remedies.’ 

The newborn baby was airlifted to Coffs Harbour Base Hospital, where he later died

Coffs/Clarence detectives launched an investigation into the baby’s death in 2022.

Emergency services had been called to the home after reports of an unresponsive baby following a birth.

Paramedics treated a newborn baby boy at the scene before he was airlifted to Coffs Base Hospital, where he later died. 

Police will allege in court Meyer was an unregistered midwife at the time of the birth.

Detectives will also allege Burrows held no medical qualifications and had been practising unregistered home birth midwifery. 

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How two banned ‘midwives’ could be back working within days despite being charged with MANSLAUGHTER over the death of a newborn baby

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