Amber Lee Hughes stunned the Johannesburg High Court on Thursday by pleading guilty to the senseless murder of four-year-old Nada-Jane Therèse Challita.
The plea comes after a tumultuous trial marked by delays and a last-minute change in legal representation.
Hughes, a 25-year-old former preschool teacher, admitted to drowning the child in January 2023 following a heated argument with her boyfriend, Elie Challita, Nada-Jane’s father. But she continues to deny allegations of rape, leaving some charges unresolved.
The drowning
The case began on January 23, 2023, when Hughes, in a fit of jealousy over Challita’s alleged infidelity, killed Nada-Jane in their Glenvista home. Hughes sent a chilling message to Challita: “You broke my heart, I’m going to burn yours,” before drowning the girl in a bathtub.
Prosecutors alleged that Hughes also raped Nada-Jane with an object and cut her wrists, though she denies these charges.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane previously stated, “The accused threatened to harm the child during disputes. … Her lifeless body was found floating in the bathtub.”
Forensic pathologist Dr Hestelle van Staden confirmed asphyxiation as the cause of death, noting injuries to the child’s face and private parts.
Justice delayed
The trial faced multiple setbacks, including a critical delay on July 17, 2025, when Hughes replaced her advocate, Michelle Ives, with Marius Bouwer. Judge Richard Mkhabela granted Bouwer time to consult, stressing, “This matter must be finalised expeditiously in the interest of justice.”
The change frustrated Elie Challita, who told reporters outside court, “It’s been almost three years. … Every time I come for progress, I find postponements.”
Tensions also erupted between families, with a woman, believed to be Nada-Jane’s mother, shouting at Hughes on June 2, 2025, “Count your days; your days are numbered.”
Hughes’ guilty plea to murder shifts the focus to sentencing, expected within weeks. Legal experts predict life imprisonment without parole, given the crime’s brutality and Hughes’ role as a trusted caregiver.
State Advocate Jolene Barnard previously argued, “The evidence proved a prima facie case that Hughes murdered Nada-Jane by drowning her and raped her by inserting objects.”
The matter has been postponed to the 7th of August for arguments.
