Four adults charged with murder of newborn Baby S found with 33 stab wounds in Sheffield
Quick Look
- Four adults from Slovakia appeared in court in Sheffield charged with the murder of a newborn girl, Baby S, who was found with 33 stab wounds from 15 separate stabbings in an outhouse in the Wincobank area.
- A 15-year-old girl was also charged with perverting the course of justice.
- All adults were remanded in custody.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Baby S was found with 33 wounds from 15 separate stabbings in an outhouse at a property in Holywell Heights, Sheffield. Police were called after reports of concern for an infant's safety. Four adults from Slovakia and a 15-year-old girl have been charged in connection with her death.
A newborn baby girl died from multiple stab wounds before she was found on top of a washing machine in an outhouse in Sheffield, a court has heard.
Two men and two women appeared in court on Wednesday charged with the murder of the newborn, named only as Baby S. She was found with 33 wounds from 15 separate stabbings when police were called to a property in the Wincobank area of the city on Sunday.
Andrea Skopova, 20, and Peter Horvath Jr, 19, have been charged with the baby’s murder, as have Horvath Jnr’s parents, Peter Horvath Sr, 38, and Nina Horvathova, 37.
The four, all from Slovakia, are additionally charged with causing or allowing the death of a child and perverting the course of justice by taking steps to conceal the killing of an infant.
Police were called to a property in Holywell Heights on Sunday morning after reports of concern for the safety of an infant. The prosecutor Luke Hopkinson told the court that Baby S was found wrapped in a towel in a blue bag in an outbuilding at an address in Holywell Heights.
A 15-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons due to her age, has been charged with perverting the course of justice. The girl sobbed in the dock as representations were made about whether she should be released on bail.
The 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. The four adults were all remanded in custody following the short hearing on Wednesday.
Two women, 26 and 37, who were arrested on suspicion of murder remain on bail.
DCI Tom Woodward, of South Yorkshire police, said: “This is a significant step in our investigation into the tragic circumstances that resulted in the death of this baby girl. 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.
“We would ask the public to avoid speculating and posting information online about this case while the legal process takes it course. Protecting the integrity of the criminal justice process is crucial to us securing justice for this little girl.”
Bouquets of flowers had been left by a police cordon near the property in Holywell Heights on Wednesday.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The four adults will stand trial for murder at crown court
Very likely · Within months
The 15-year-old girl will appear at crown court on Thursday
Certain · Within days
The investigation by South Yorkshire police will continue
Very likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What was the motive behind the attack on Baby S?
- What was the relationship between the defendants and the infant?
- Why was the baby left in an outhouse atop a washing machine?
- What steps were taken to conceal the killing, as alleged in the perverting justice charges?
