FOUR PEOPLE ACCUSED IN THE DEATH OF NEWBORN BABY S FACE ANOTHER SERIOUS ALLEGATION — AND IT CENTRES ON WHAT HAPPENED AFTER HER DEATH

Four people accused in the death of a newborn baby girl in Sheffield are facing additional charges over what prosecutors allege happened after the infant died.

Andrea Skopova, 20, Peter Horvath Jr, 19, Peter Horvath Sr, 38, and Nina Horvathova, 37, are due to stand trial next year over the death of Baby S.

But the murder allegations are not the only charges hanging over the four defendants.

They are also accused 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, including cleaning the alleged crime scene.

THE BABY WAS FOUND IN AN OUTBUILDING

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

The court heard that Skopova, who is believed to be the baby’s mother, had given birth at 37 weeks before later attending hospital.

Medical staff alerted police shortly after 5am after recognising that she had recently given birth and raising concerns about the safety of the newborn.

Officers went to the address but the baby was not there.

She was later found at a property on Holywell Heights in the Wincobank area of Sheffield.

According to prosecutors, the newborn was discovered wrapped in a towel and placed inside a blue bag on top of a washing machine in an outbuilding.

A forensic post-mortem examination determined that the baby’s cause of death was stab wounds.

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

A potential weapon has been recovered and is being examined, while investigators have also obtained CCTV footage.

FOUR ADULTS AND A TEENAGER IN THE DOCK

Skopova appeared at Sheffield Crown Court alongside Horvath Jr, Horvath Sr and Horvathova.

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

The four adults are all Slovakian nationals.

The courtroom was heavily secured during the hearing, with seven security guards and two Slovak interpreters surrounding the defendants in the glass-fronted dock.

Above them, 26 relatives watched from the public gallery.

Skopova and the teenage defendant were reported to have cried throughout the hearing, while several people in the gallery were also visibly distressed.

QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE BABY DIED

The prosecution case now involves not only what allegedly happened to Baby S, but also what happened in the moments and hours afterward.

The four adults are accused of taking steps to conceal the alleged killing, with the charge of perverting the course of justice specifically relating to the alleged cleaning of the scene.

However, the allegations have not been tested at trial.

The Crown Prosecution Service has stressed that the defendants have the right to a fair trial and that the proceedings remain active. All four adults, as well as the teenage defendant, are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

THE BABY’S FATHER REMAINS UNKNOWN

The court has also heard a detail that adds another unanswered question to the case.

Prosecutor Luke Hopkinson said Baby S’s father is currently unknown.

Skopova is the girlfriend of Peter Horvath Jr, who is the son of the other two adult defendants, but the court was told that Horvath Jr is not believed to be the baby’s father.

Two other women, aged 26 and 37, were previously arrested on suspicion of murder but remain on bail and have not been charged.

TRIAL SET FOR 2027

Judge Sarah Wright has set the trial to begin on April 12, 2027.

The case is expected to last between six and seven weeks.

All five defendants have been remanded in custody, with their next hearing scheduled for October 2.

As the investigation continues, prosecutors will have to prove not only their allegations surrounding Baby S’s death, but also the claims concerning what allegedly happened afterward.

For now, one of the most disturbing questions remains:

WHO KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO BABY S — AND WHAT WAS DONE TO THE SCENE AFTERWARD?