FOUR PEOPLE ACCUSED IN THE DEATH OF A NEWBORN BABY ARE NOW FACING ANOTHER SERIOUS ALLEGATION — AND IT CENTRES ON WHAT ALLEGEDLY HAPPENED AFTER THE ATTACK

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

But prosecutors are not only accusing the four of involvement in the newborn’s death.

They also face charges of causing or allowing the death of a child and perverting the course of justice by allegedly taking steps to conceal what happened.

The details emerged as the four appeared at Sheffield Crown Court, alongside a 15-year-old girl who cannot be named for legal reasons.

All five defendants are Slovakian nationals.

A COURTROOM FILLED WITH FAMILY

The atmosphere inside court was described as highly emotional.

The five defendants sat in the glass-fronted dock while 26 relatives watched from the public gallery.

They were surrounded by seven security guards and other court staff, with two Slovak interpreters assisting during the hearing.

Skopova and the 15-year-old girl were reported to have sobbed during the proceedings.

Members of the public gallery were also visibly distressed, with one woman reportedly crying uncontrollably as the defendants were led away.

The judge ultimately ordered the public seating to be cleared.

THE NEWBORN AT THE CENTRE OF THE CASE

Baby S was born at 37 weeks in the early hours of August 30.

Police were called to a property in the Wincobank area of Sheffield shortly after 5 a.m. following concerns about the safety of an infant.

The baby was not initially found inside the property where police attended.

She was later discovered at an address on Holywell Heights.

According to evidence presented in court, Baby S had suffered 33 injuries from 15 separate stabbings, involving her face and torso, front and back.

A doctor told the court she would have been alive when the attack occurred.

A forensic post-mortem examination subsequently identified the cause of death as stab wounds.

THEN CAME THE SECOND ALLEGATION

The location where Baby S was discovered has become one of the most disturbing elements of the investigation.

Prosecutors told the court that the newborn was found wrapped in a towel and inside a blue bag, on top of a washing machine in an outhouse.

The four adult defendants are now accused not only of murder, but also of perverting the course of justice by taking steps to conceal the killing of an infant.

That means the prosecution case concerns more than what allegedly happened to Baby S.

It also concerns what allegedly happened afterwards — and whether attempts were made to conceal the circumstances surrounding her death.

Those allegations remain unproven.

FIVE PEOPLE, FIVE DIFFERENT ROLES ALLEGED

Skopova, Horvath Jr, Horvath Sr and Horvathova all face murder charges.

The 15-year-old girl faces a separate charge of perverting the course of justice.

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

The prosecution has not publicly established the precise role each defendant is alleged to have played in the baby’s death.

The court will ultimately have to determine what happened — and whether the evidence proves the allegations against each individual.

TRIAL SET FOR 2027

Judge Sarah Wright has fixed a provisional trial date of April 12, 2027.

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

All five defendants were remanded in custody, with the next hearing scheduled for October 2.

The Crown Prosecution Service has stressed that the proceedings are active and that every defendant has the right to a fair trial. It has also warned against online commentary or sharing information that could prejudice the proceedings.

For now, one of the most haunting questions surrounding Baby S remains unanswered:

What happened inside that Sheffield property — and what, if anything, was done afterwards to conceal it?