Newborn baby girl found dead in Sheffield with 33 stab wounds as four appear in court

Four appeared in court on Wednesday, September 2

Four people have appeared in court charged with murder after a newborn baby girl, named as Baby S, was found dead with 33 wounds from 15 separate stabbings.

At Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, September 2, prosecutors told a district judge that the baby’s body was found on top of a washing machine in an outhouse at an address in the Wincobank area of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, on Sunday, August 29.

Andrea Skopova, 20, Peter Horvath Jnr, 19, Peter Horvath Snr, 38, and Nina Horvathova, 37, appeared before the court on Wednesday morning charged with the murder of Baby S.

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They were remanded in custody and will appear at Sheffield Crown Court on Thursday.

Horvath Jnr, Horvath Snr and Horvathova, all of Holywell Heights, and Skopova, of Robey Street, Grimesthorpe, Sheffield, are also charged with causing or allowing the death of a child, and perverting the course of justice by cleaning the scene of the alleged crime.

All the defendants are Slovakian nationals, the court heard.

A 15-year-old girl, who cannot be named, appeared at the court later in a separate hearing, charged with the same perverting the course of justice offence. The girl sobbed in the dock as representations were made about whether she should be released on bail.

District Judge Tim Spruce decided she should be remanded in youth custody until Thursday, when she will appear at crown court with the other defendants.

Prosecutor Luke Hopkinson told Mr Spruce that the baby’s mother is the defendant Andrea Skopova. The father is unknown, Mr Hopkinson said.

Skopova is the girlfriend of the defendant Horvath Jnr, who is the son of the other two adult defendants. Mr Hopkinson said Horvath Jnr is not believed to be the father.

Baby S was found wrapped in a towel and in a blue bag in an outbuilding at an address in Holywell Heights. Mr Hopkinson said she had suffered 33 wounds from 15 “separate stabbings”.

A forensic post-mortem has confirmed that the baby’s cause of death as resulting from stab wounds.

A number of family members packed into the court for the nine-minute long adult defendants’ hearing, many in tears. The four adults stood wearing identical grey t-shirts and flanked by four security guards.

Two women, aged 26 and 37, who were arrested on suspicion of murder remain on bail.

Lauren Costello, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor at CPS Yorkshire and Humberside, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has decided to prosecute four individuals with murder following a police investigation into the death of a newborn baby girl in the Wincobank area. A fifth individual has been charged with perverting the course of justice.

“Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.

“We have worked carefully with South Yorkshire Police as they carried out their investigation. We remind all concerned that proceedings against the defendants are active and they have the right to a fair trial.

“It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in anyway prejudice these proceedings.”