BABY S HAD JUST BEEN BORN AT 37 WEEKS — BUT WHEN THE CASE REACHED COURT, ONE BASIC QUESTION ABOUT HER FAMILY REMAINED UNANSWERED

SHEFFIELD, England — Baby S had been in the world for only a matter of hours.

Born at approximately 37 weeks, the newborn girl entered the world at an address in Sheffield before her mother, Andrea Skopova, 20, later went to hospital.

But by the time the case reached court, prosecutors revealed a startling detail:

The identity of Baby S’s father was still unknown.

And the man believed to have been Skopova’s boyfriend was himself among those accused in connection with the infant’s death.

A newborn — and a devastating discovery

Police were called to a property in the Wincobank area of Sheffield on Sunday, August 30, following concerns about the safety of a newborn baby.

Officers searched a property on Holywell Heights and discovered Baby S in an outbuilding.

A forensic post-mortem later determined that she died from stab wounds.

Prosecutors told an earlier hearing that the baby had suffered 33 injuries from 15 separate stabbings, with wounds to her face and torso. Her body was found wrapped in a towel and placed inside a blue bag on top of a washing machine.

Then came the question of her father

At Sheffield Magistrates’ Court, prosecutor Luke Hopkinson confirmed that Skopova was Baby S’s mother.

But when it came to the father, there was no answer.

The court heard that the baby’s father was unknown.

Skopova was reportedly in a relationship with Peter Horvath Jr., 19, but prosecutors said he was not believed to be the baby’s father.

That detail immediately became one of the most striking elements of a case already filled with unanswered questions.

Four adults charged with murder

Skopova appeared in court alongside Horvath Jr., his father Peter Horvath Sr., 38, and his mother Nina Horvathova, 37.

All four have been charged with murder, causing or allowing the death of a child, and perverting the course of justice by allegedly taking steps to conceal the infant’s death.

A 15-year-old girl, whose identity is protected by law, has separately been charged with perverting the course of justice.

All five defendants have been remanded in custody.

None of the defendants entered pleas during the brief court proceedings.

The family connection makes the case even more complicated

The prosecution alleges a close relationship between the defendants.

Skopova is the girlfriend of Horvath Jr.

Horvath Jr. is the son of Peter Horvath Sr. and Nina Horvathova.

That means the four adult defendants appearing in court are connected through the same family relationship — while the identity of Baby S’s biological father remains unresolved.

The court proceedings have been emotional.

Family members filled part of the public gallery, while Skopova and the teenage defendant were reported to have cried during the proceedings. The defendants appeared with security officers and Slovak interpreters.

A case that could take months to reach trial

At Sheffield Crown Court, Judge Sarah Wright set a provisional trial date of April 12, 2027.

The trial is expected to last approximately six to seven weeks.

Until then, the prosecution’s allegations will remain allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Police have also urged the public not to speculate or share potentially prejudicial information online, warning that doing so could interfere with the legal process.

For Baby S, however, the tragedy began before she had even been given the chance to live a full day.

She was born at around 37 weeks.

She had a mother.

She was surrounded by people connected through a complicated family relationship.

But as prosecutors stood in court and began laying out the case, one of the most basic facts about her family was still missing:

Who was her father?

That question now sits alongside the much larger mystery investigators are trying to solve — what happened to Baby S in the hours between her birth and the moment police found her?