A South African teacher, Amber Lee Hughes, was convicted of premeditated murder and rape by the High Court of South Africa’s Gauteng Division in Johannesburg. Hughes, 26, admitted to abusing her ex-partner’s daughter, Nada-Jane Chalita, resulting in severe vaginal injuries before drowning the four-year-old in a bathtub on January 23, 2023.

During the sentencing, Hughes sought leniency, expressing that she believed the child was “better off dead.” She claimed remorse for the tragic incident, stating that she thought it was in the girl’s best interest. Hughes testified that she felt the child should have died rather than be with her father, whom she accused of infidelity.

Reports indicated that Hughes drowned the child following an argument with her father, whom she believed to be unfaithful. She left a chilling message to him before the horrific act. The court heard that she forced the child’s head underwater until she drowned, leaving behind evidence of sexual assault.

Hughes later admitted to suffering from borderline personality disorder but acknowledged being fully aware of her actions on the day of the incident. Despite denying the rape accusations, she confessed to the court that she left the child unresponsive in the bathtub with the tap running. The father of Nada-Jane expressed the impossibility of finding justice for his daughter in this world. The sentencing proceedings are ongoing.