A newborn baby suffered 15 stab wounds before being hidden in an outhouse in Sheffield, a court has heard.
The child, named only as Baby S, was discovered fatally injured in a house in the Wincobank area of the city at around 6am on Sunday morning.
She had allegedly been stabbed in a bathroom, wrapped in a towel and blue bag and then dumped on a washing machine in an outhouse.
Today, her mother, Andrea Skopova, 20, appeared in court charged with her daughter’s murder at the property in Holywell Heights, Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
Her boyfriend Peter Horvath Jnr, 19, and his parents Nina Horvathova, 37, and Peter Horvath Snr, 38, also appeared beside her in the dock wearing grey prison-issue tracksuits at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court charged with Baby S’s murder.
All four are also charged with caused or allowed the death of a child and also perverting the course of justice by cleaning a crime scene.
A 15-year-old girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, has also appeared charged with perverting the course of justice.
The defendants – who are all Slovakian nationals and required an interpreter – were remanded in custody after appearing today at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court.
The court heard the baby suffered 33 injuries including 15 stab wounds.
Andrea Skopova, 20, is the mother of Baby S. She has been charged with her murder and remanded in custody
Her boyfriend, Peter Horvath Jr, has also been charged with murder. He is not believed to be the baby’s father
A police forensics team could be seen entering the property on Monday where a newborn baby was found the day before
It is believed the smart property in the Wincobank area of Sheffield was being rented
Prosecutor Luke Hopkinson said the mother of Baby S is Skopova, but the father is not known.
‘A female baby known as S was born in the early hours of Sunday 30 August at an address in Holywell Heights,’ Mr Hopkinson said.
He said that Skopova gave birth to the baby at 37 weeks and shortly afterwards presented at hospital.
Hospital staff were ‘confident’ the baby was not in the womb but Skopova would not explain where the baby was, the court heard.
He added: ‘It was apparent that she had recently given birth.’
It was said Skopova would not explain where the baby was.
Medical staff alerted the police at shortly after 5am.
Police attended her home address and could not find the child so later checked the address in Holywell Heights.
Mr Hopkinson said: ‘Peter Hovarth Junior is Andrea’s current boyfriend, but he is not the father.
‘When attending, police located a baby wrapped in towelling and in a blue bag on top of a washing machine in an outhouse. The baby was deceased.
Slovakian national Peter Horvath has been charged with murder, causing or allowing the death of a child and also perverting the course of justice
‘The baby has catastrophically been injured by a knife.
‘She has 33 wounds from 15 separate stabbings.
‘A doctor confirmed she would have been alive when the attack took place.’
It is alleged that Horvathova and the 15-year-old girl cleaned up blood in the bathroom.
An eight-year-old child was also in the house at the time.
Mr Hopkinson said the defendants have not been clear in police interviews and have ‘contradicted one another’.
District Judge Tim Spruce remanded all five defendants into custody to appear before Sheffield Crown Court tomorrow.
Two women, aged 26 and 37, who were arrested on suspicion of murder remain on bail.
Detective Chief Inspector Tom Woodward, of South Yorkshire Police, said: ‘I would like to thank our communities, who I know will have been deeply impacted by this traumatic incident, for supporting us as we work through this intricate investigation.’
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