Nursery teacher ‘sexually assaulted and murdered boyfriend’s four-year-old daughter because she was jealous of the girl’

By TARYN PEDLER

Published: 16:28 BST, 17 April 2025 | Updated: 17:03 BST, 17 April 2025

A female nursery school teacher allegedly sexually assaulted and killed her boyfriend’s four-year-old daughter because she was jealous of her.

Amber Lee Hughes, 25, stands accused of the rape and murder of Nada-Jane Challita and has now gone on trial at the Johannesburg High Court in South Africa.

Hughes allegedly sexually assaulted the young girl with an object before drowning her and cutting her wrists on January 23, 2023. She has pleaded not guilty.

A spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, 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 said that the defendant regularly threatened to harm the child during these arguments.

It is alleged that when the father, Elie Challita, left Nada-Jane alone in Hughes’ care, she sexually assaulted the young girl using objects.

The spokesperson also said: ‘It is also alleged that she drowned her and cut both her wrists. The deceased’s lifeless body was later found floating in the bathtub.’

Amber Lee Hughes, 25, stands accused of the rape and murder of Nada-Jane Challita and has now gone on trial at the Johannesburg High Court in South Africa .

Hughes allegedly sexually assaulted Nada-Jane Challita with an object before drowning her and cutting her wrists on January 23, 2023

A spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, Phindi Mjonondwane, said that the defendant regularly threatened to harm the child during arguments

Challita, who was heard as a witness, told the court that Hughes had grown 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 gone on a job interview, but Hughes seemed angry that he did not give her a goodbye kiss before leaving and suspected him of cheating.

She sent him a chilling text message saying: ‘You broke my heart; I’m going to burn yours. How could you do that to me?’

The father said: ‘I felt my heart fall from my chest; I felt something was very wrong.’

The trial is ongoing.

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Nursery teacher ‘sexually assaulted and murdered boyfriend’s four-year-old daughter because she was jealous of the girl’

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