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

Four people accused in the death of a newborn baby are now facing another serious charge — one that focuses not only on what allegedly happened to Baby S, but on what prosecutors say happened afterward.

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, a newborn girl who prosecutors say suffered 33 wounds in 15 separate attacks.

But the allegations against the four do not stop there.

They are also charged with causing or allowing the death of a child and perverting the course of justice, with prosecutors alleging that steps were taken to clean or conceal the crime scene.

All four appeared at Sheffield Crown Court alongside a 15-year-old girl who is also accused of perverting the course of justice.

The extraordinary courtroom scene was closely watched by relatives.

Seven security guards and two Slovak interpreters surrounded the glass-fronted dock as 26 members of the defendants’ family watched from the public gallery.

THE DISCOVERY THAT SHOCKED SHEFFIELD

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

According to the prosecution, her mother, Andrea Skopova, later went to hospital.

Medical staff became concerned and contacted police shortly after 5 a.m.

Officers attended an address in Sheffield’s Wincobank area — but the newborn was not there.

Police then went to another property in Holywell Heights.

That was where Baby S was found.

Prosecutors told the court that the infant had been wrapped in a towel and placed inside a blue bag on top of a washing machine in an outhouse.

She had suffered 33 injuries, including 15 separate wounds to her face and torso, both front and back.

A doctor who examined the case told investigators that the baby had been alive when the injuries were inflicted.

THEN CAME THE SECOND ALLEGATION

The prosecution is not only concerned with the circumstances surrounding Baby S’s death.

The four adults also face allegations that they took steps to conceal what had happened.

The charge of perverting the course of justice is particularly significant because it concerns alleged actions taken after the infant was injured.

The prosecution has described the allegation as involving the cleaning of the crime scene.

That means the forthcoming trial is expected to examine not only what happened to Baby S, but also what the defendants allegedly did afterward.

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

A COURTROOM FILLED WITH EMOTION

The atmosphere inside Sheffield Crown Court was reportedly intense.

Skopova and the teenage defendant were said to have sobbed during the hearing.

Members of the family watching from the gallery were also visibly distressed, with one woman crying uncontrollably as the defendants were taken from the dock.

The judge eventually ordered the public seating area to be cleared.

Despite the emotional scenes, the court proceedings remain at an early stage.

The four adults and the teenage girl have not been convicted, and each defendant has the right to a fair trial.

SIX TO SEVEN WEEKS IN COURT

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

It is expected to last between six and seven weeks.

All five defendants have been remanded in custody, with the next hearing scheduled for October 2, 2026.

Meanwhile, investigators continue to examine evidence recovered during the investigation, including a potential weapon and CCTV footage.

Police have also urged the public not to speculate or share information online that could interfere with the legal process.

For now, one question hangs over the case:

What happened to Baby S — and what, prosecutors allege, happened in the moments after her death?

Those questions will ultimately have to be answered in court.