A South African High Court has convicted a formernursery teacherof raping and murdering her partner's four-year-old daughter in a case that has horrified the nation and reignited urgent debate about child protection within domestic settings.
Amber-Lee Hughes, 26, was found guilty of premeditated murder and rape in the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Johannesburg for the killing of Nada-Jane Challita in January 2023. The conviction followed extensive forensic testimony, admissions by the accused, and evidence of a volatile relationship marked by jealousy and conflict. Hughes has since appeared before the court to plead for leniency ahead of sentencing.
Judge Richard Makhabela delivered a guilty verdict in the Gauteng High Court, concluding that the state had proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Hughes sexually assaulted and deliberately drowned the child in the family home on 27 August 2025. The ruling followed a full trial in which Hughes initially pleaded not guilty before later making partial admissions.
In anofficial statement releasedafter the judgement, the National Prosecuting Authority confirmed that Hughes had been convicted of premeditated murder and rape. The NPA stated that the court accepted forensic evidence showing the child sustained acute vaginal injuries consistent with penetration by a small object minutes to hours before her death. The prosecution withdrew a second rape count relating to alleged anal penetration after concluding the evidence did not meet the threshold for proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
Court records show thatHughes admitted to drowning the childafter an argument with the girl's father. However, she denied responsibility for the sexual assault. Judge Makhabela rejected her denial, finding the medical testimony credible and concluding that the injuries were inflicted shortly before the killing.
🚨Female nursery teacher raped and drowned partner's helpless 4-year-old daughter in jealous rage🚨THEN begs leniency claiming mental healthAmber-Lee Hughes, a preschool teacher-assistant, raped little Nada-Jane Challita by inserting foreign objects and drowned her by…pic.twitter.com/yGOM98t5vk
According toevidencepresented in court, Hughes filled the bathtub and submerged the child until she stopped breathing. When emergency services arrived, they found Hughes nearby with self-inflicted wrist wounds. The court determined that she had not attempted to rescue the child or summon help in time to prevent her death.
Testimony during the trial established that Hughes began a relationship with Elie Challita after he enrolled his daughter at the preschool where Hughes worked. The prosecution described the relationship as turbulent. Witnesses and digital evidence presented in court pointed to recurring arguments about alleged infidelity.
On 23 January 2023, the child's father left the home for a job interview, placing his daughter in Hughes' care. Text messages exchanged between the couple shortly before the child's death revealed heightened tensions. Prosecutors argued that Hughes' actions were fuelled by jealousy and anger directed at the father, with the child becoming the target of that rage.
The state led expert testimony from a forensic pathologist who described fresh genital injuries and confirmed drowning as the cause of death. The judge accepted that the assault and killing formed part of a continuous sequence of events. The court ruled that the murder was premeditated, noting that Hughes had time to reflect before filling the bath and carrying out the act.
Source: International Business Times UK
