Preschool Teacher Convicted in Stepdaughter’s Death Seeks Leniency, Claims Child Was ‘Better Off Dead’

The South African preschool teacher convicted of raping and drowning her 4-year-old stepdaughter is asking for leniency in her sentencing. Amber-Lee Hughes, 26, testified Feb. 18 during sentencing proceedings at the High Court’s Gauteng Division in Johannesburg, telling the court she believed the child, Nada-Jane Challita, was “better off dead” as she asked for leniency ahead of her sentencing, The Citizen reported.

“I thought that it would have been better if Nada were dead than to just be with her father,” Hughes said.

Hughes told the court the killing stemmed from an emotional breakdown after learning the child’s father had been unfaithful, testifying that she planned to end both her own life and the child’s because she believed the girl was better off dead than remaining in his care.

“On that day, it felt like everything that had happened throughout our relationship had built up, and I snapped,” she said.

Hughes was convicted in August 2025 of the premeditated murder and rape of her stepdaughter, Nada-Jane Challita. Prosecutors said the 4-year-old was killed on Jan. 23, 2023, while in Hughes’ care, after she drowned the child by sitting on top of her in a bathtub.

While acknowledging she understood her actions, Amber-Lee Hughes told the court she struggles with Borderline Personality Disorder and described a long history of mental health challenges dating back to childhood therapy. She said she made several suicide attempts after the crime and had previously attempted to take her own life multiple times as a teenager, including once by drowning.

In court, Hughes denied the rape charge, saying she did not know how the child sustained vaginal injuries. However, a pathologist previously testified that the girl had a “fresh wound” likely caused by the insertion of a small object shortly before her death.

Judges rejected Hughes’ denial, noting she admitted being alone with the child in the hours leading up to the drowning. The proceedings are set to continue with the state’s cross-examination, though Hughes did express remorse during her testimony.

“I regret what happened that day. I think about it nearly every day while I’ve been incarcerated,” Hughes said. “At the time, I thought it was her best option.”