BABY S HAD JUST BEEN BORN AT 37 WEEKS — THEN COURT REVEALED ONE OF THE MOST BASIC DETAILS ABOUT HER FAMILY WAS STILL UNKNOWN

Baby S had been in the world for only a matter of hours.

The newborn girl was born at 37 weeks in the early hours of Sunday, August 30, in Sheffield.

Her mother, Andrea Skopova, 20, later went to hospital, where medical staff recognised that she had recently given birth.

Police were alerted shortly after 5am.

What followed was a major investigation into the circumstances surrounding the newborn’s death — and a court case involving four adults and a 15-year-old girl.

But amid the disturbing allegations presented to the court, prosecutors revealed a detail that immediately stood out.

Baby S’s father is still unknown.

And despite being Skopova’s boyfriend, Peter Horvath Jr, 19, is not believed to be the baby’s father, prosecutors told the court.

That unanswered question is now one of several surrounding the final hours of Baby S’s short life.

THE POLICE ALERT

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

She later attended hospital.

Medical staff realised she had recently given birth and contacted police.

Officers subsequently attended a property in the Holywell Heights area of Wincobank, Sheffield, where the newborn was found.

The discovery triggered a murder investigation.

Baby S had reportedly been placed on top of a washing machine inside an outhouse.

The circumstances surrounding how she came to be there are now at the centre of the prosecution case.

33 WOUNDS FROM 15 SEPARATE STABBINGS

Previous hearings heard the newborn had suffered 33 wounds from 15 separate stabbings.

The injuries were described as being to her face and torso, front and back.

A post-mortem examination established that the baby’s cause of death was stab wounds.

Prosecutors have also alleged that the scene was subsequently cleaned and that steps were taken to conceal what had happened.

Those allegations form part of the charges now facing the defendants.

However, none of the four adults charged with murder has been convicted, and the full evidence will ultimately have to be tested at trial.

FOUR ADULTS ACCUSED

Four people have been charged with Baby S’s murder.

They are:

Andrea Skopova, 20, the baby’s mother.

Peter Horvath Jr, 19, Skopova’s boyfriend.

Peter Horvath Sr, 38, Horvath Jr’s father.

And Nina Horvathova, 37, Horvath Jr’s mother.

The four defendants are Slovakian nationals and are also charged with causing or allowing the death of a child and perverting the course of justice, according to the prosecution case.

Horvath Jr’s relationship with Skopova has attracted particular attention because of the unanswered question surrounding Baby S’s father.

The court was told that although he was Skopova’s partner, he was not believed to be the child’s father.

The identity of the father has not been publicly established.

A FIFTH DEFENDANT

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

She cannot be named because of her age.

The teenager appeared in court alongside the four adults as proceedings moved toward a full trial.

According to Sky News, all five defendants sat in the glass-fronted dock at Sheffield Crown Court, accompanied by security guards and Slovak interpreters.

Members of their families watched proceedings from the public gallery.

Skopova and the teenage defendant were reported to have cried during the hearing.

THE FAMILY CONNECTION

The defendants are linked by a close family relationship.

Skopova is the girlfriend of Horvath Jr.

Horvath Jr is the son of Horvath Sr and Horvathova.

That means three of the adult defendants are members of the same family, while Skopova is the mother of the newborn at the centre of the case.

Exactly what role each defendant is alleged to have played is a matter for the trial.

The prosecution has not yet had to prove those allegations to a jury.

TWO WOMEN REMAIN ON BAIL

The investigation has not ended with the five defendants currently in custody.

Two other women, aged 26 and 37, were previously arrested on suspicion of murder.

They remain on bail while police inquiries continue.

Their involvement, if any, has not been established publicly.

Police have urged people not to speculate while the investigation and court proceedings remain active.

TRIAL DATE SET FOR 2027

The case has now moved toward a lengthy Crown Court trial.

Judge Sarah Wright set the trial date for April 12, 2027.

The proceedings are expected to last approximately six to seven weeks.

All five defendants were remanded in custody, with their next hearing scheduled for October 2, 2026.

The trial will be expected to examine the evidence surrounding Baby S’s final hours, the allegations against each defendant and the prosecution’s claims about what happened at the property.

ONE QUESTION STILL HANGS OVER THE CASE

For investigators, there are likely to be many questions.

What happened immediately after Baby S was born?

Who was present?

How did the newborn end up inside the outhouse?

What happened before police arrived?

And what role, if any, did each of the defendants allegedly play?

But there is also a remarkably basic question that remains unanswered.

Who was Baby S’s father?

The court has heard that his identity is unknown and that Peter Horvath Jr is not believed to be the father.

For a newborn who had only just entered the world, it is a detail that might ordinarily be expected to be known.

Instead, it remains another unresolved piece of a case that has already raised profound questions.

As the investigation continues and the defendants await trial, the full story of Baby S’s final hours will ultimately have to be established through evidence presented in court.

For now, the allegations remain just that — allegations. The four adults charged with murder and the 15-year-old defendant remain legally presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.