Funeral held for newborn baby girl who was 'stabbed 15 times and dumped on washing machine by mother and her boyfriend's family'
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Mourners gathered today for the funeral of a newborn baby girl who was allegedly stabbed to death by her mother and her boyfriend's family.
Maria Skopova was found dead at a home in Holywell Heights, Sheffield, on the same day she was born on August 30 - having reportedly been stabbed 15 times.
Police said her 33 injuries were caused by 'separate stabbings' and subsequently 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 of whom are Slovakian nationals, appeared in court earlier this month and were remanded in custody.
No pleas have been entered, these are set to be taken on December 14, and a provisional trial has been fixed for April next year.
On Monday, almost two months since Maria's death, a funeral was held for her at St Marie's Catholic Cathedral in Sheffield.
Around 50 mourners gathered at the funeral, which was conducted in Slovakian, before another private family service was held elsewhere in the city.
A card placed alongside the baby's casket read: 'For Baby Maria. The purest souls never stay too long in this world. With love from a mum x.'
Mourners gathered in Sheffield on Monday for the funeral of Maria Skopova, who was allegedly stabbed to the death on the same day she was born
Around 50 mourners were filmed at the service, which was mainly held in Slovakia, this morning
The baby's mother, 20-year-old Andrea Skopova, has been remanded into custody and charged with murder
Skopova's boyfriend Peter Horvath Jr (pictured) has also been charged with murder along with two others
Maria's mother had asked to watch the service on YouTube from prison, according to Reverend Chris Posluszny, who led the service.
The reverend said as the funeral got underway: '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.
'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.'
A court heard last month that the baby's body was found wrapped in a towel and in a blue bag in an outbuilding in the Wincobank area of Sheffield.
Skopova, 20, Horvath Jnr, 19, Horvath Snr, 38, and Horvathova, 37, were all charged with murder.
The defendants were also charged with causing or allowing the death of a child, and perverting the course of justice by cleaning the scene of the alleged crime. They were all remanded in custody after an initial hearing at magistrates' court.
A 15-year-old girl, who cannot be named because of her age, is charged with the same perverting the course of justice offence.
A court heard that Skopova was 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, but he is not believed to be the father.
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