A NEWBORN BABY’S DEATH PUT FOUR ADULTS FROM ONE FAMILY CONNECTION IN THE DOCK — AND THE CASE HAS LEFT A COMMUNITY STUNNED

Andrea Skopova, 20, has been charged alongside Peter Horvath Jr., his father Peter Horvath Sr. and his mother Nina Horvathova following the death of a newborn baby in Sheffield.

A newborn baby girl known only as Baby S was just hours old when police were called to a Sheffield address — beginning an investigation that would eventually put four adults before the courts.

Andrea Skopova, 20, is accused alongside Peter Horvath Jr., 19, Peter Horvath Sr., 38, and Nina Horvathova, 37.

All four are Slovakian nationals and face charges of murder, causing or allowing the death of a child, and perverting the course of justice.

A fifth defendant, a 15-year-old girl who cannot legally be named, has separately been charged with perverting the course of justice.

THE FAMILY CONNECTION

One of the most striking aspects of the case is the relationship between the defendants.

Prosecutors told the court that Skopova is Baby S’s mother.

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

However, prosecutors said Horvath Jr. is not believed to be the baby’s father, and the identity of the father remains unknown.

The alleged family connection therefore places Skopova alongside her boyfriend and his parents in the same criminal proceedings.

THE BABY WAS BORN JUST HOURS BEFORE POLICE WERE CALLED

According to the prosecution case, Baby S was born in the early hours of August 30, 2026, at an address in Sheffield.

Skopova had reportedly given birth at 37 weeks before later attending hospital.

Medical staff alerted police shortly after 5 a.m. after concerns were raised about the safety of the infant.

Officers attended the address where Skopova had been, but the baby was not there.

They then went to another property in the Wincobank area.

That was where Baby S was discovered.

WHAT THE COURT HEARD

The prosecution alleged that Baby S had suffered 33 injuries, including injuries resulting from 15 separate stabbings.

The infant was allegedly found inside an outbuilding, on top of a washing machine, after being wrapped in a towel and placed inside a blue bag.

The circumstances surrounding the discovery have become central to the prosecution case.

However, the defendants have not been convicted, and the allegations against each individual will have to be tested at trial.

FOUR ADULTS, ONE CASE

Skopova, Horvath Jr., Horvath Sr. and Horvathova are all facing the same principal murder charge, alongside allegations relating to the death of a child and the alleged concealment of what happened.

A 15-year-old girl is facing the separate allegation of perverting the course of justice.

Two other women, aged 26 and 37, were also arrested on suspicion of murder but remain on bail as the investigation continues.

Police have continued gathering evidence, with investigators reportedly recovering potential evidence including CCTV footage and an item believed to be relevant to the investigation.

AN EMOTIONAL COURT APPEARANCE

The defendants appeared at Sheffield Crown Court on September 3.

Skopova and the 15-year-old girl reportedly cried during the hearing, while members of the defendants’ families watched from the public gallery.

The proceedings required Slovak interpreters.

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

The trial is scheduled to begin on April 12, 2027, and is expected to last between six and seven weeks.

THE QUESTIONS STILL HANGING OVER BABY S

The case has left investigators attempting to establish exactly what happened during the short period between Baby S’s birth and her discovery.

Who was present?

What happened inside the property?

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

Those questions will ultimately have to be answered through the evidence presented in court.

The Crown Prosecution Service has stressed that the proceedings are active and that all defendants have the right to a fair trial.

None of the defendants has been convicted of the allegations against them.