BABY S WAS BORN AT 37 WEEKS — BUT ONE BASIC DETAIL ABOUT HER FAMILY WAS STILL UNKNOWN
BABY S WAS BORN AT 37 WEEKS — BUT ONE BASIC DETAIL ABOUT HER FAMILY WAS STILL UNKNOWN
SHE HAD ONLY BEEN ALIVE FOR A MATTER OF HOURS. THEN POLICE WERE CALLED.
Baby S was born in the early hours of Sunday, August 30, at an address in Sheffield, England.
She was born at 37 weeks.
Her mother, Andrea Skopova, 20, later went to hospital. Medical staff became concerned after recognizing that she had recently given birth and alerted police shortly after 5 a.m.
What officers discovered would lead to a major criminal investigation.
Baby S was found dead inside an outbuilding at a property in the Wincobank area of Sheffield. Her body had been wrapped in a towel and placed inside a blue bag before being found on top of a washing machine.
A postmortem examination determined that she had suffered 33 wounds from 15 separate stabbings, with injuries to her face and torso, both front and back.
Four adults have now been charged with the baby’s murder.
They are Skopova, her boyfriend Peter Horvath Jr, 19, and his parents, Peter Horvath Sr, 38, and Nina Horvathova, 37.
All four are also accused of causing or allowing the death of a child and perverting the course of justice.
A 15-year-old girl has separately been charged with perverting the course of justice. Her identity is protected because of her age.
All five defendants have been remanded in custody.
BUT THEN CAME A STRIKING DETAIL
As prosecutors outlined the case, one of the most basic questions about Baby S’s family remained unanswered.
Her father is unknown.
Prosecutor Luke Hopkinson told the court that Skopova is the baby’s mother.
But although Skopova was in a relationship with Peter Horvath Jr, prosecutors said he is not believed to be Baby S’s father.
That detail has added another unanswered question to an already deeply disturbing investigation.
Horvath Jr is the son of Peter Horvath Sr and Nina Horvathova. The four adult defendants are all Slovakian nationals.
The case has also drawn intense attention inside the courtroom.
When the defendants appeared at Sheffield Crown Court, members of their families filled the public gallery. Skopova and the 15-year-old girl were reported to have cried throughout the hearing.
The defendants did not enter pleas during the brief hearing.
Judge Sarah Wright ordered all five to remain in custody and set their next hearing for October 2, 2026. Their trial is provisionally scheduled to begin on April 12, 2027, and is expected to last between six and seven weeks.
Meanwhile, two other women, aged 26 and 37, who were previously arrested on suspicion of murder remain on bail as the investigation continues.
Police have urged the public not to speculate about the case while investigators continue gathering evidence.
For now, the full circumstances surrounding Baby S’s final hours remain unknown.
But one question has already emerged from the courtroom — a question investigators may ultimately have to answer:
WHO WAS BABY S’S FATHER — AND WHAT HAPPENED IN THE HOURS AFTER SHE WAS BORN?
The answers may become clearer when the case returns to court.
