A nursery teacher, Amber Lee Hughes, tragically drowned her partner’s four-year-old daughter, Nada-Jane Challita, in a bath. The heinous act was fueled by Hughes’ belief that her partner was unfaithful, leading to a brutal attack on the young girl. Hughes expressed anger towards her partner for not saying goodbye, escalating to the chilling incident on January 23, 2023, where she sat on Nada-Jane in the bathtub until she drowned.

Post-mortem findings revealed that Nada-Jane had been sexually assaulted twice before her untimely death. Hughes, admitting to suffering from borderline personality disorder at the time, claimed she was aware of her actions that day. She cited a heated argument with her partner over infidelity as the trigger for her actions, emphasizing that she left the girl unresponsive in the bathtub with the water running.

Following the murder, Hughes made multiple attempts to end her own life. During her sentencing, she attributed her behavior to a traumatic childhood and mental health struggles. Despite expressing remorse and regret, Judge Richard Mkabela deemed Hughes’ actions as premeditated, pointing to incriminating texts before the murder as evidence of her intent.

Hughes and her partner, Elie, had a tumultuous relationship since 2021 when she moved in with him and Nada-Jane. The court heard of Hughes’ repeated threats towards the young girl. In August, Hughes was found guilty of premeditated murder and vaginal rape, facing a minimum sentence of life imprisonment. Elie, Nada-Jane’s father, expressed that no sentence would suffice for the loss of his daughter, emphasizing that justice is unattainable in this world or lifetime.