Two men and two women have appeared in court charged with murdering a baby girl who had been repeatedly stabbed at a house in Sheffield.

The newborn – referred to as Baby S in court – was found at a property in Holywell Heights, in the Wincobank area, on Sunday, having suffered 33 wounds from 15 separate stabbings.

Andrea Skopova, 20, formerly of Robey Street, Sheffield, and Peter Horvath, 19, Nina Horvathova, 37, and Peter Horvath, 38, all of Holywell Heights, appeared at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court.

The four Slovakian nationals 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 fifth person, a 15-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, also appeared in the same court charged with perverting the course of justice.

All five defendants were remanded into custody to appear at Sheffield Crown Court on Thursday.

Tuesday’s hearing was told the baby’s body was found on top of a washing machine in an outhouse and was wrapped in a towel inside a blue bag.

Prosecutor Luke Hopkinson said the defendants had been accused of perverting the course of justice by cleaning the scene.

Earlier, police said two women, aged 26 and 37, who were arrested on suspicion of murder remained on bail.

Speaking ahead of the court hearing, Det Ch Insp Tom Woodward said: “This is a significant step in our investigation into the tragic circumstances that resulted in the death of this baby girl.

“I would like to thank our communities, who I know will have been deeply impacted by this traumatic incident, for supporting us as we work through this intricate investigation.

“We would ask the public to avoid speculating and posting information online about this case while the legal process takes it course.

“Protecting the integrity of the criminal justice process is crucial to us securing justice for this little girl.”

Police said officers would continue to be in and around the Holywell Heights area carrying out inquiries.

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