Four Slovakian nationals accused of murdering a newborn baby found dead at a house in Sheffield will stand trial next year, a judge has ruled.
Andrea Skopova, 20, Peter Horvath, 19, Peter Horvath, 38, and Nina Horvathova, 37, appeared at Sheffield Crown Court charged with the murder of a baby girl, referred to in court only as Baby S. A 15-year-old girl also appeared in court, charged with perverting the course of justice.
Prosecutor Luke Hopkinson told Sheffield Magistrates Court earlier in the week that the baby’s body was found on top of a washing machine in an outhouse at a property in Holywell Heights, in the Wincobank area of the city, on a Sunday. The baby had suffered stab wounds.
The four adult defendants — 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 with perverting the course of justice by allegedly cleaning the scene.
During Thursday’s hearing, all five defendants sat in the glass-fronted dock, flanked by seven security guards and other court staff along with two Slovak interpreters, while members of the public watched from the gallery above. Skopova and the 15-year-old girl reportedly sobbed throughout the proceedings.
Judge Sarah Wright set a trial date of 12 April 2027, which is expected to last six to seven weeks. The four adult defendants were remanded into custody until the next hearing on 2 October, while the 15-year-old girl was remanded into youth custody.
Two other women, aged 26 and 37, who were separately arrested on suspicion of murder, remain on bail as the investigation continues.
Murder charges require prosecutors to prove that a defendant unlawfully killed another person with intent to kill or cause serious harm. The charge of causing or allowing the death of a child can apply to those who had frequent contact with a child and either caused the death or failed to protect the child from a risk of serious harm. Perverting the course of justice involves allegedly acting to obstruct or interfere with a police investigation, such as by tampering with a crime scene.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. The case will next return to Sheffield Crown Court on 2 October, ahead of the scheduled trial in April 2027.
Source: BBC News
