An atrocious incident unfolded as a nursery school teacher carried out a heinous act by raping and killing her boyfriend’s four-year-old daughter, culminating in a final depraved act of drowning the child in a bathtub. Amber Lee Hughes, aged 25, confessed to the murder of little Nada-Jane Chalita, driven by her unfounded suspicions of her partner’s infidelity.
The tragic event transpired on January 23, 2023, when Nada-Jane’s father, Elie, entrusted his daughter to Hughes’ care while he attended a job interview in Johannesburg. Hughes, overcome by jealousy when Elie departed without bidding farewell, forced the child into the bathtub and held her under until she drowned.
Initially denying the charges of murder, Hughes later pleaded guilty during the trial, admitting to submerging Nada-Jane in the water by sitting on her and leaving her lifeless body in the tub with the tap running. The court heard that moments before the murder, Hughes had sent a message to Elie expressing her anguish and making threatening remarks.
During the court proceedings, Hughes attributed her actions to a troubled past and mental health challenges, detailing instances of bullying and attempted suicide. Despite expressing remorse for her actions, the presiding judge deemed Hughes’ behavior as premeditated, citing her threatening messages leading up to the crime.
Hughes had entered into a relationship with Elie in 2021 and moved in with him and Nada-Jane, with reports of a tumultuous relationship marked by threats towards the child. She was found guilty of premeditated murder and vaginal rape, offenses carrying mandatory life sentences in South Africa.
Elie, devastated by the loss of his daughter, expressed his despair at the lack of justice he perceived in the aftermath of the tragedy. The sentencing, originally scheduled for February 16, 2026, was deferred, causing further anguish to the victim’s family.
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