BABY S WAS BORN AT 37 WEEKS — BUT WHEN THE CASE REACHED COURT, ONE BASIC DETAIL ABOUT HER FAMILY WAS STILL UNKNOWN

She had been alive for only a matter of hours. Yet when the shocking case reached court, one of the most basic questions about Baby S’s family still had no answer: Who was her father?

Baby S was born at around 37 weeks in the early hours of Sunday, August 30, at an address in Sheffield, according to evidence presented in court.

Her mother, Andrea Skopova, 20, later attended hospital after giving birth. Medical staff recognized that she had recently delivered a baby, prompting police to become involved.

What followed became a major investigation after Baby S was discovered at a property in the Wincobank area of Sheffield.

A forensic post-mortem established that the newborn died from stab wounds.

Prosecutors later told Sheffield Magistrates’ Court that Baby S had suffered 33 wounds from 15 separate stabbings, with injuries to her face and torso, both front and back. Her body was found wrapped in a towel inside a blue bag and placed on top of a washing machine in an outbuilding.

But amid the disturbing allegations, another detail emerged that immediately stood out.

WHO WAS BABY S’S FATHER?

Prosecutor Luke Hopkinson told the court that Skopova was Baby S’s mother — but the identity of the father was unknown.

Even more strikingly, Skopova’s boyfriend, Peter Horvath Jr., 19, is one of the people accused in connection with the newborn’s death.

But prosecutors said Horvath Jr. is not believed to be Baby S’s father.

Horvath Jr. is accused alongside his parents, Peter Horvath Sr., 38, and Nina Horvathova, 37, while Skopova herself is also charged.

The four adults face charges including murder, causing or allowing the death of a child, and perverting the course of justice by allegedly taking steps to conceal what happened.

A 15-year-old girl, who cannot be named because of her age, has separately been charged with perverting the course of justice.

A CASE THAT HAS ALREADY REACHED CROWN COURT

The five defendants appeared at Sheffield Crown Court on September 3.

They did not enter pleas during the brief hearing and were remanded in custody.

Judge Sarah Wright set a provisional trial date of April 12, 2027, with the trial expected to last approximately six to seven weeks. Their next hearing is scheduled for October 2.

Two other women, aged 26 and 37, who were previously arrested on suspicion of murder remain on bail while the investigation continues.

The courtroom proceedings were reportedly emotional, with members of the defendants’ families watching from the public gallery. Skopova and the teenage defendant were among those who became visibly distressed during the hearings.

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE HOURS AFTER HER BIRTH?

That remains at the heart of the investigation.

Police are continuing to piece together the sequence of events between Baby S’s birth and the moment officers discovered her.

Investigators have reportedly recovered potential evidence including CCTV footage and a possible weapon, while specialist teams have continued working at the scene.

But some of the most fundamental questions remain unanswered.

Why was Baby S’s father unknown?

What happened during the short period between her birth and her death?

And how did a newborn girl, who had only just entered the world, end up at the center of such a devastating investigation?

For now, those questions remain for detectives and, ultimately, the courts to examine.

All five defendants are accused, not convicted, and each is entitled to a fair trial.