Funeral Held for Newborn Allegedly Stabbed to Death
Mourners gather for the funeral of an infant who suffered numerous wounds on the day of her birth, as four individuals face murder charges.
Mourners gathered on Monday for the funeral of Maria Skopova, a newborn baby girl who was allegedly stabbed 15 times and died on the same day she was born, August 30. The infant suffered 33 wounds in total.
Authorities have charged the baby's mother, Andrea Skopova, her boyfriend Peter Horvath Jnr, and his parents, Peter Horvath Snr and Nina Horvathova, with murder. The four defendants, all Slovakian nationals, appeared in court earlier this month and were remanded in custody. Pleas are expected to be entered on December 14, with a provisional trial scheduled for April of next year.
The funeral service was held at St Marie's Catholic Cathedral in Sheffield and was conducted in Slovakian, followed by a private family service. Approximately 50 mourners attended.
A card placed with the casket read: "For Baby Maria. The purest souls never stay too long in this world. With love from a mum x." The baby's mother had requested to watch the service on YouTube from prison, according to Reverend Chris Posluszny, who led the service. "We commend her to the mercy, the love of God, that all that has happened will be in the past, for this child is to rest in the eternal peace of Christ, the eternal dwelling place of God," Reverend Posluszny said. "We know that she, who will never be forgotten, she will share in the eternal life that God offers. She is valuable and precious and her memory will also be valuable and precious. May she rest in peace."
Last month, a court heard that the baby's body was found wrapped in a towel inside a blue bag in an outbuilding in Sheffield's Wincobank area. Skopova, 20, Horvath Jnr, 19, Horvath Snr, 38, and Horvathova, 37, were all charged with murder. They also face charges of causing or allowing the death of a child and perverting the course of justice by allegedly cleaning the crime scene. All were remanded in custody.
A 15-year-old girl, who cannot be named due to her age, is also charged with perverting the course of justice.
Court documents indicate that Skopova is the baby's mother, and the father is unknown. Skopova is the girlfriend of Horvath Jnr, who is the son of the other two adult defendants. However, Horvath Jnr is not believed to be the father of the child. The trial for the murder charges is expected to begin in April.