Four to face 2027 trial in Sheffield news baby murder case
Four people will stand trial from 12 April 2027, accused of murdering a newborn girl found with 33 stab wounds at a Sheffield house. In the latest Sheffield news, a 15-year-old girl also appeared in court charged with perverting the course of justice after Baby S was found dead in Wincobank. Police were called to Holywell Heights on Sunday after reports of concern for an infant’s safety.
Key Takeaways
- Andrea Skopova, 20, Peter Horvath, 19, Peter Horvath, 38, and Nina Horvathova, 37, are charged with murdering a newborn known as Baby S.
- Judge Sarah Wright fixed a trial date of 12 April 2027, expected to last six to seven weeks.
- Prosecutors said the baby was found on a washing machine in an outhouse, with 33 wounds from 15 stabbings.
- The four adults, all Slovakian nationals, were remanded in custody until a hearing on 2 October.
- A 15-year-old girl is charged with perverting the course of justice and was remanded into youth custody.
What did the court hear about the Sheffield baby’s death?
Prosecutor Luke Hopkinson told Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday that Baby S was found on top of a washing machine in an outhouse at the Holywell Heights property. The Guardian reported she was wrapped in a towel in a blue bag in that outbuilding.
A post-mortem examination revealed the baby died as a result of stab wounds, according to the BBC. Officers were called to the Wincobank area of Sheffield on Sunday morning after reports of concern for the safety of an infant.
Horvath Jnr, Horvath Snr and Horvathova, all of Holywell Heights, and Skopova, of Robey Street, Grimesthorpe, Sheffield, also face charges of causing or allowing the death of a child. They are further charged with perverting the course of justice by cleaning the scene of the alleged crime, the BBC said. The Guardian described that count as taking steps to conceal the killing of an infant.
The Times reported that the defendants include the newborn girl’s mother. The BBC and Guardian accounts did not identify which defendant is the child’s mother, and the baby has been named only as Baby S.
Who appeared at Sheffield Crown Court and what happens next?
On Thursday, all five defendants sat in the glass-fronted dock at Sheffield Crown Court, flanked by seven security guards and other staff and two Slovak interpreters. Skopova and the 15-year-old girl sobbed throughout the hearing, the BBC reported. Members of the public watched from the public gallery balcony above.
The four adults were remanded into custody until the next hearing on 2 October. The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons because of her age, was remanded into youth custody. The district judge Tim Spruce had already remanded her in youth custody after Wednesday’s magistrates’ hearing, The Guardian said.
Two other women, aged 26 and 37, who were arrested on suspicion of murder, remain on bail. This true crime coverage will follow the legal process as the April 2027 listing approaches.
Why have police asked the public not to speculate online?
DCI Tom Woodward of South Yorkshire Police called the charging decision a significant step in the investigation into the tragic circumstances that resulted in the death of the baby girl. He thanked communities “deeply impacted by this traumatic incident” for supporting what he described as an intricate investigation.
Woodward asked the public to avoid speculating and posting information online about the case while the legal process takes its course. Protecting the integrity of the criminal justice process, he said, is crucial to securing justice for the little girl. Bouquets of flowers had been left by a police cordon near the Holywell Heights property on Wednesday.
Judge Sarah Wright listed the trial to start on 12 April 2027. The hearing is expected to last six to seven weeks.