The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg has convicted Amber Lee Hughes of the rape and murder of four-year-old Nada-Jane Challita.
The little girl was found drowned in the bathtub of her Glenvista home in January 2023. A medical examination later revealed that she had also been sexually assaulted.
What happened to Nada-Jane Challita?
On the day of the incident, Nada-Jane was left in the care of Amber Lee Hughes, who at the time was in a relationship with the child’s father, Elie Challita.
The father was away on a trip, and Hughes was meant to be looking after the little girl.
Tragically, Nada-Jane was later found drowned in the bathtub.
A medical report, known as a post-mortem, showed that she had also been sexually assaulted. This evidence became central to the trial.
Judge explains why Hughes is guilty
Judge Richard Mkhabela told the court that Hughes had not acted in anger alone, but had actually planned the murder. He explained:
“The accused made the threat. She has the propensity to make violent threats. The objective evidence shows that after stopping communication with Mr Challita at 16:35, Mr Challita continued sending the accused messages but she did not respond but had read the messages.”
The judge further said the court had accepted evidence showing that Hughes raped Nada-Jane by inserting foreign objects into her body before drowning her.
Hughes’ shocking courtroom admission
During parts of the trial, Hughes had claimed she was not guilty of both rape and murder. However, in July 2025, her new legal team stunned the courtroom by revealing that she was now admitting to killing the child.
Her lawyer, advocate Marius Bouwer, told the court that Hughes admitted to the killing but still denied the sexual assault. This confession delayed the court process as the judge gave the defence more time to prepare.
Despite this late admission, the evidence against her was overwhelming, and the court has now officially convicted her of both charges.
The matter has been postponed until October 2025, when the same court will begin sentencing procedures.
Sentencing is the stage where the judge decides how many years in prison, or what type of punishment, the guilty person will receive.
Given the seriousness of the crimes, legal experts believe that Hughes could face a life sentence.
