A nursery school teacher who allegedly raped and murdered her boyfriend’s four-year-old daughter left her to be found floating in a bath tub after carrying out the wicked act. Amber Lee Hughes, 25, is accused of the horrific crimes against Nada-Jane Challita, her partner’s young daughter, with the trial now underway at Johannesburg High Court in South Africa.
Hughes’ trial began on Monday, with the defendant pleading not guilty. She allegedly raped and murdered the little girl in January 2023, before drowning her and cutting her wrists. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Phindi Mjonondwane, said: “The court heard that the preschool teacher allegedly developed a romantic relationship with the deceased’s father.
“She moved in with them and during her stay, their relationship was allegedly marked by frequent altercations. “
Mjonondwane added that Hughes regularly threatened to harm the child during these disputes.
It’s alleged that when the father, Elie Challita, left his daughter alone with Hughes, she raped the girl before drowning her.
The youngster’s lifeless body was later found floating in the bathtub.
Challita, who testified as a witness, told the court that Hughes had become jealous of his daughter.
He said: “[She] was jealous about me giving [Nada-Jane] more attention and spending more money on her.”
On the day of the murder, Challita had attended a job interview. However, Hughes appeared upset that he hadn’t given her a farewell kiss before leaving and suspected him of infidelity.
She sent him a chilling text message stating: “You broke my heart; I’m going to burn yours. How could you do that to me?”
Chalita immediately had a bad feeling about what was about to happen, saying: “I felt my heart fall from my chest; I felt something was very wrong.”
The prosecution called Dr Hestelle van Staden, an expert in forensic pathology, as a witness on Tuesday. She explained her findings from the autopsy and said the cause of death was asphyxiation and sexual assault. The trial continues.
The harrowing case comes after a man admitted raping a newborn baby to death while his wife was out buying his daughter nappies. Hugo Ferreira, 37, from Welverdiend, South Africa, brutally killed his daughter when she was just one week old.
Speaking to the media, he admitted that he wanted to “give her something to cry about” before carrying out a sickening sexual assault.
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