BABY S WAS BORN AT 37 WEEKS — BUT ONE OF THE MOST BASIC DETAILS ABOUT HER FAMILY IS STILL UNKNOWN

She had only just entered the world.

Baby S was born at 37 weeks in the early hours of Sunday, August 30, in Sheffield.

But within hours, the newborn girl would become the centre of a case that has shocked the city — and left investigators trying to piece together what happened during the brief period between her birth and the discovery of her body.

One of the most striking details revealed in court was not only what prosecutors allege happened to the baby.

It was what they still do not know about her family.

The identity of Baby S’s father remains unknown.

Prosecutors told the court that her mother, Andrea Skopova, 20, was in a relationship with 19-year-old Peter Horvath Jr — but Horvath Jr is not believed to be the baby’s father.

Now Skopova, her boyfriend and his parents are all facing murder charges.

And a 15-year-old girl has also been charged in connection with the case.

A BIRTH — THEN A POLICE ALERT

According to the information presented in court, Skopova gave birth to Baby S at an address in Sheffield during the early hours of Sunday.

She later went to hospital.

Medical staff recognised that she had recently given birth and contacted police shortly after 5am, prompting officers to begin investigating the circumstances surrounding the newborn.

Police were subsequently called to a property in Holywell Heights, Wincobank, where the baby’s body was discovered.

The discovery would lead to a major investigation involving multiple members of the same extended family.

THE DISCOVERY AT THE PROPERTY

Prosecutors told Sheffield Magistrates’ Court that Baby S was found inside an outhouse at the property.

She had reportedly been wrapped in a towel and placed inside a blue bag, before being left on top of a washing machine.

A post-mortem examination later established that the newborn had died from stab wounds.

The court heard that she had suffered 33 wounds from 15 separate stabbings, affecting her face and torso, including both the front and back of her body.

The details have formed a central part of the prosecution case.

However, the court has not yet heard a full trial of the evidence, and none of the defendants has been convicted.

FOUR ADULTS FACE MURDER CHARGES

Four adults have now been charged with the murder of Baby S.

They are:

• Andrea Skopova, 20, the baby’s mother
• Peter Horvath Jr, 19
• Peter Horvath Sr, 38
• Nina Horvathova, 37

Horvath Jr is Skopova’s boyfriend and the son of Peter Horvath Sr and Nina Horvathova.

All four are Slovakian nationals, according to the court proceedings.

In addition to murder, the four adults face charges relating to causing or allowing the death of a child and perverting the course of justice, with prosecutors alleging that steps were taken to conceal what happened.

Those allegations have yet to be tested at trial.

A FIFTH DEFENDANT

A 15-year-old girl has also been charged with perverting the course of justice.

Because she is under 18, she cannot be publicly identified.

She appeared separately before the court and was remanded into youth custody.

The teenager is not facing the same murder charge as the four adults.

THE QUESTION THAT REMAINS

Among the many unanswered questions surrounding Baby S is one that might normally seem fundamental:

Who was her father?

Prosecutor Luke Hopkinson told the court that the father’s identity was unknown.

He also confirmed that Peter Horvath Jr, despite being Skopova’s boyfriend, was not believed to be the father.

That revelation adds another unresolved element to an investigation already involving several defendants and a complicated family relationship.

Investigators are continuing to establish exactly what happened after Baby S was born and how the events unfolded before police discovered her.

TRIBUTES LEFT OUTSIDE THE HOME

As the investigation continued, members of the local community began leaving flowers and tributes near the property in Holywell Heights.

The case has generated considerable public interest, but police have repeatedly urged people not to speculate or share information online that could interfere with the legal proceedings.

South Yorkshire Police said the investigation remains complex and thanked members of the community for their support.

Two other women, aged 26 and 37, who were arrested on suspicion of murder remain on bail as inquiries continue.

THE CASE NOW MOVES TOWARD TRIAL

At Sheffield Crown Court, Skopova, Horvath Jr, Horvath Sr and Horvathova appeared alongside the 15-year-old defendant.

They confirmed their identities but did not enter pleas during the brief hearing.

Judge Sarah Wright remanded all five defendants in custody and set their next hearing for October 2, 2026.

A provisional trial date has been set for April 12, 2027, with the trial expected to last approximately six to seven weeks.

The proceedings will ultimately have to examine the evidence surrounding Baby S’s death, the roles each defendant is alleged to have played, and what happened during the hours after the newborn was brought into the world.

For now, the most heartbreaking fact remains the simplest one.

Baby S was only 37 weeks old when she was born.

And before her life had truly begun, she became the centre of a criminal investigation that has left investigators with a long list of questions — including one as basic as the identity of her father.

Those questions will now be left for the courts and investigators to answer.