A newborn baby was stabbed 15 times before her body was concealed in an outhouse in Sheffield, a court has been told.
The infant, who can be identified only as Baby S, was found with fatal injuries at a property in the Wincobank area of the city at about 6am on Sunday.
Police officers and paramedics tried to save the baby at the address in Holywell Heights, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
A post-mortem examination later established that the newborn had suffered stab wounds.
The Crown Prosecution Service has now confirmed that two men, two women and a teenage girl have been charged in connection with the baby’s death.
The newborn was the daughter of Andrea Skopova, 20, who is charged with her murder.
Peter Horvath, 19, Peter Horvath, 38, and Nina Horvathova, 37, have also 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 remanded in custody after appearing today at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court.
The court heard the baby suffered 33 injuries including 15 stab wounds.
She was then allegedly dumped in an outhouse while the bathroom where she had been killed was cleaned.
A police forensics team could be seen entering the property on Monday where a newborn baby was found the day before
It is believed the smart property in the Wincobank area of Sheffield was being rented
Police continue to guard a house in Wincobank, Sheffield
One neighbour said the house in Wincobank had been rented by a family who moved in around eight months ago.
She claimed there could sometimes be as many as 12 people inside the relatively small home, including children and adults.
The neighbour said she had never noticed a woman who appeared to be pregnant living at the address.
‘There are loads of them in the house, they are always in and out,’ she said.
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Another neighbour said knew the family that lived there only casually.
‘I only knew the family to say ”hello” to,’ they said.
‘I’m not aware of any of them working, and they would come and go all through the day and night, every day of the week.
‘It is dreadful what has happened, that a poor little girl has died. It has really traumatised my daughter.’
Police remained at the property yesterday as forensic officers examined the scene, with cordons put in place around the smart end-of-the-mews home.
A South Yorkshire Police dog handler was also seen searching surrounding gardens and bins with a sniffer dog.
Lauren Costello, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor at CPS Yorkshire and Humberside, said: ‘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.
‘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.’
‘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.’
Detective Chief Inspector Tom Woodward said: ‘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.
‘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.
‘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.’
Detective Chief Inspector Emma Knight previously urged residents not to speculate while officers continued their work.
She said: ‘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.’