BABY S HAD JUST BEEN BORN AT 37 WEEKS — BUT ONE BASIC DETAIL ABOUT HER FAMILY WAS STILL UNKNOWN

She had been alive for only hours. But when the case surrounding her death reached court, prosecutors revealed that one of the most basic details about Baby S’s family was still unknown: the identity of her father.

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

Her mother, Andrea Skopova, 20, later went to hospital. Medical staff recognized that she had recently given birth and alerted police shortly after 5 a.m.

What followed would become a major criminal investigation.

THE BABY WAS FOUND AT ANOTHER ADDRESS

Police were called to an address in the Holywell Heights area of Wincobank, Sheffield, after concerns were raised about the safety of an infant.

Officers discovered the newborn in an outbuilding.

According to evidence heard in court, Baby S had been wrapped in a towel and placed inside a blue bag on top of a washing machine.

A postmortem examination established that she had died from stab wounds.

The court was later told that the newborn suffered 33 wounds from 15 separate stabbings, with injuries to her face and torso, including wounds to both the front and back of her body.

HER MOTHER’S BOYFRIEND IS ALSO ACCUSED

As prosecutors outlined the case, another detail emerged.

Skopova’s current boyfriend, Peter Horvath Jr, 19, is among the four adults charged with Baby S’s murder.

Horvath Jr is the son of Peter Horvath Sr, 38, and Nina Horvathova, 37, who are also accused in the case.

But prosecutor Luke Hopkinson told the court that Baby S’s father remains unknown and that Horvath Jr is not believed to be her father.

That means one of the central details surrounding the newborn’s family remains unresolved even as the criminal case moves forward.

FOUR ADULTS FACE MULTIPLE CHARGES

Skopova, Horvath Jr, Horvath Sr and Horvathova have all been charged with murder.

They also face allegations of causing or allowing the death of a child and perverting the course of justice, with prosecutors alleging that steps were taken to conceal what had happened.

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

Two other women, aged 26 and 37, were arrested on suspicion of murder but have since been released on bail.

EMOTIONAL COURT APPEARANCE

All five defendants appeared at Sheffield Crown Court.

The four adults and the teenage girl were held in the glass-fronted dock, accompanied by seven security guards and two Slovak interpreters.

Twenty-six relatives watched the proceedings from the public gallery.

Court reports said both Skopova and the 15-year-old girl cried during the hearing.

All five defendants were remanded in custody.

Judge Sarah Wright set a trial date for April 12, 2027, with proceedings expected to last between six and seven weeks. The next hearing is scheduled for October 2.

QUESTIONS STILL SURROUND BABY S’S FINAL HOURS

Investigators are continuing to piece together what happened during the crucial period between Baby S’s birth and the discovery of her body.

Police have urged the public not to speculate or share unverified information online, stressing the importance of protecting the integrity of the criminal investigation and court process.

For now, several questions remain.

Who was Baby S’s father?

What happened in the hours after she was born?

And perhaps most importantly, what happened between her birth and the moment police found her?

Those questions are expected to become central to the evidence as the case moves toward trial.

The four adults and the teenage girl are accused and have not been convicted. The allegations against them will ultimately be tested in court.