Five Charged Over Death of Newborn Baby Found Stabbed in Sheffield

Five people have been charged after a newborn baby was found stabbed to death in the UK.

The baby girl was discovered fatally injured in a house in the Wincobank area of Sheffield at around 6am on Sunday, August 30.

Police and paramedics battled to save her at the property in Holywell Heights, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination later revealed that she had been stabbed.

The Crown Prosecution Service has announced that two men, two women and a teenage girl have been charged in connection with the death.

Andrea Skopova, 20, Peter Horvath, 19, Peter Horvath, 38, and Nina Horvathova, 37, have been charged with murder, causing or allowing the death of a child, and perverting the course of justice by taking steps to conceal the killing of an infant.

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 defendants, who are all Slovakian nationals, were due to appear at Sheffield Magistrates' Court on the day the charges were announced.

A South Yorkshire Police dog handler was also seen searching surrounding gardens and bins with a sniffer dog in the aftermath of the discovery.

Lauren Costello, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor at CPS Yorkshire and Humberside, said the decision to prosecute followed a thorough police investigation.

"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 person has also been charged with perverting the course of justice," she said.

She said prosecutors were satisfied the case met the threshold to proceed to court.

"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," she said.

She reminded the public of the defendants' right to a fair trial.

"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," she said.

Detective Chief Inspector Tom Woodward said the case had affected everyone who worked on it.

"We recognise this is deeply distressing for those who would have loved to have a chance to love this baby girl, for the emergency services who responded and for the community who will inevitably be shocked by this incident," he said.

He said the toll of the investigation had been felt across every stage of the response.

"Everyone involved in responding to this tragedy – from the first officers and paramedics on the scene to the detectives now leading the investigation – has felt the profound impact of this investigation," he said.

He said the force remained determined to see the case through.

"Our commitment to this little girl is unwavering. We will confront every difficult and distressing challenge and pursue every line of inquiry with determination and care to secure justice for her. We know the local community will hold her in their thoughts and support us as we work through this complex investigation," he said.

Detective Chief Inspector Emma Knight had earlier urged residents not to speculate while the investigation was ongoing.

"We are aware news of this will be deeply concerning and I want to reassure our local communities that we have a dedicated team of detectives and officers hard at work to ensure justice is secured for the baby girl at the heart of this investigation," she said.