Former preschool teacher Amber-Lee Hughes, 25, has been convicted of raping and murdering her boyfriend’s four-year-old daughter, Nada-Jane Chalita.
Delivering judgment in the Johannesburg high court on Thursday, Richard Mkhabela found that Hughes deliberately drowned the child in a bathtub in March 2023, shortly after telling the toddler's father in a heated text message: “You broke my heart, I’m going to burn your heart.”
The judge said the evidence showed Hughes acted out of anger and jealousy towards the child, who had lived with her father and Hughes. “The accused filled the bath with water as part of her plan to drown the child. This was not a spur-of-the-moment act, but a deliberate killing,” Mkhabela ruled.
The court heard that Nada-Jane's body was found floating face-down in the bathtub while Hughes sat on the floor near a sofa with self-inflicted wrist cuts, offering no assistance.
Forensic pathologist Dr Hestelle van Staden testified that the child had suffered acute vaginal injuries consistent with sexual assault that occurred “minutes to hours before her death”. Blood was found in the vaginal canal, ruling out older trauma.
While Hughes denied rape, the judge found the state had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that she sexually violated the child before killing her. Hughes was acquitted on a separate count relating to alleged anal penetration due to lack of fresh injury evidence.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the verdict was a relief after a long legal battle.
“We welcome the court’s ruling. It has been a long journey with the family since 2023. Hughes was entrusted with the care and safety of this child as a caregiver, yet she used that trust to bring harm.
“This case is a grim reminder of the catastrophic consequences of not knowing the type of people we bring into our lives”, added Mjonondwane.
Outside court, the child’s father, Elie Chalita, said the judgment brought partial relief but no ruling could undo the pain.
“It was expected, thank God. We knew what had happened from the beginning. This brings some relief, but it does not bring my child back. Nothing ever will,” said Chalita, fighting back tears.
He described the conviction as “two-thirds closure,” pointing out that Hughes had been found guilty on two of the three charges.
“Whether it happened before or not, I believe she did it all. But we respect the system, and at least today we had progress. It is one step on a ladder after I fell all the way down when I lost my child,” said Chalita.
Hughes, who initially pleaded not guilty, made admissions only when confronted with overwhelming evidence, including her own statements to witnesses that she had drowned the child.
The matter was postponed to October 27 for sentencing.
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