The sentencing proceedings of Amber Lee Hughes entered their second day on Tuesday at the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, where a social worker testified that the convicted child killer had shown no genuine remorse for her crimes.
Hughes, a 27-year-old former teaching assistant, was found guilty earlier this year of raping and murdering four-year-old Nada-Jane Challita in 2023. The child’s body was found in a bathtub in the Glenvista apartment that Hughes shared with her then-boyfriend, Elie Challita, the victim’s father.
Social worker Johanna Wolmarans, who interviewed Hughes following her conviction, told the court that the woman’s conduct during the trial did not reflect true remorse.
“She only confessed to the killing at the end of her trial,” Wolmarans said, adding that this came two-and-a-half years after the crime.
According to Wolmarans, Hughes referred to the child as her “best friend” while maintaining her innocence during most of the trial.
“While she testified about how she found the deceased floating in the bath, [Hughes] was crying while not telling the truth to the court,” state prosecutor Advocate Rolene Barnard pointed out during cross-examination.
Wolmarans agreed that such behaviour was inconsistent with genuine remorse.
Wolmarans also told the court that Hughes suffers from multiple mental health disorders, including borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, all of which stem from a traumatic childhood.
However, she noted that Hughes had stopped seeking treatment years before the murder.
When asked if that was reckless, Wolmarans replied, “Yes, it’s reckless,” though she added that her mental health challenges could have influenced her decision.
During her testimony, Wolmarans said that when Judge Richard Mkhabela asked Hughes what she considered the worst moment of her life, she said it was her mother’s passing, rather than the murder of Nada-Jane.
“At the time of interviewing [Hughes], you knew she had murdered the child, but still, the worst was the passing of her mother. I would have said, apart from murdering Nada, this is also [the worst],” Mkhabela remarked.
Wolmarans confirmed that the response reflected a lack of insight and genuine remorse.
Outside the court, Nada-Jane’s father, Elie Challita, said he could not accept any suggestion that mental illness excused Hughes’ actions.
“According to Google, 22.7% of the population has a mental disorder, but that doesn’t make them rapists or murderers,” he said.
“That does not give an excuse for what was done.”
Nada-Jane’s mother, Amy Johnson, also rejected claims that she or Challita were to blame for trusting Hughes with their child.
“She was a teacher. You’d trust her. It’s hard to think this person will go and destroy my child,” Johnson said.
Wolmarans recommended that Hughes receive direct imprisonment, potentially coupled with a partially suspended sentence and access to psychological treatment.
However, the state is pushing for the minimum prescribed sentence of life imprisonment.
The sentencing is expected to continue on 16 February 2026, when the defence will respond to the social worker’s findings and present its final submissions.
Watch our deep-dive into the Amber Lee Hughes case below:
