Newborn found with 33 stab wounds named as inquest opens, mother to stand trial

Maria Skopova, a newborn who died on the day of her birth in Sheffield’s Holywell Heights, was found wrapped in a towel and blue bag atop a washing machine, bearing 33 wounds from 15 separate stab attacks. At the formal opening of her inquest, the baby was identified by name, while her 20-year-old mother, Andrea Skopova, and three other Slovak nationals—Peter Horvath Jr, Peter Horvath Sr, and Nina Horvathova—have been charged with her murder and related offences, including perverting the course of justice.

A 15-year-old girl, unnamed for legal reasons, also faces a charge of perverting justice. Senior coroner Tanyka Rawden postponed the inquest until March 25, citing ongoing criminal proceedings, and a trial is scheduled to begin on April 12, lasting up to seven weeks. Prosecutor Luke Hopkinson noted that the father’s identity remains unknown and that emergency services pronounced the baby deceased after discovery. The adults remain in custody pending a hearing, while the teenager is held in youth detention.