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

A newborn baby girl had only just entered the world when her life ended in a horrifying case now before the courts — and even after prosecutors laid out the allegations, one basic detail about her family remained unknown.

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

She had been delivered at around 37 weeks of pregnancy.

Her mother, Andrea Skopova, 20, later went to hospital after giving birth. Medical staff alerted police after recognising that she had recently delivered a baby.

What investigators discovered would lead to one of the most disturbing cases currently before Sheffield Crown Court.

THE BABY’S FATHER IS STILL UNKNOWN

During the court proceedings, prosecutors revealed a striking detail.

Baby S’s father has not been identified.

Skopova’s boyfriend, Peter Horvath Jr, 19, is among those charged in connection with the baby’s death, but prosecutors said he is not believed to be the child’s father.

Horvath Jr is accused alongside his parents, Peter Horvath Sr, 38, and Nina Horvathova, 37, as well as Skopova.

All four adults face charges including murder, causing or allowing the death of a child and perverting the course of justice.

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

WHAT POLICE FOUND

The newborn was discovered at a property on Holywell Heights in the Wincobank area of Sheffield.

Prosecutors told the court that Baby S had suffered 33 injuries from 15 separate stabbings.

The wounds were to her face and torso, both front and back.

Her body was reportedly found wrapped in a towel and placed inside a blue bag in an outbuilding, on top of a washing machine.

A forensic postmortem established that the baby’s cause of death was stab wounds.

The discovery prompted a major police investigation, with specialist officers searching the area and detectives working to establish exactly what happened during the hours following the birth.

FIVE PEOPLE NOW FACE THE COURTS

Skopova, Horvath Jr, Horvath Sr and Horvathova are all Slovakian nationals.

The four adults have been remanded in custody.

The 15-year-old defendant has also been remanded in youth custody.

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

The charges against the four adults include allegations that steps were taken to conceal the baby’s death.

However, none of the defendants has been convicted, and the allegations have not been proved in court.

A TRIAL THAT COULD LAST WEEKS

The case is now heading toward a major trial.

A judge has scheduled the trial to begin on April 12, 2027, with proceedings expected to last between six and seven weeks.

The next hearing is scheduled for October 2.

Investigators are continuing to examine evidence, including CCTV and material recovered during searches, as they attempt to reconstruct the events surrounding Baby S’s death.

Police have also urged members of the public not to speculate about the case online, warning that inaccurate information could interfere with the legal process.

THE QUESTIONS THAT REMAIN

Baby S had been alive for only a matter of hours.

Her father remains unknown.

Her mother and her mother’s boyfriend are among those facing the most serious allegations, alongside the boyfriend’s parents and a teenage girl.

And investigators are still working to establish the full sequence of events between the baby’s birth and the moment her body was discovered.

Who knew Baby S was there?

What happened in the hours after she was born?

And perhaps most importantly, how did a newborn baby, only 37 weeks into pregnancy, become the centre of a murder investigation within hours of entering the world?

Those questions will now form part of a complex criminal case — one that is not expected to reach trial until next year.

For Baby S, there was almost no time to experience the world.

For the people investigating her death, the search for answers has only just begun.