Johannesburg High Court Judge Richard Mkhabela found Amber Lee Hughes guilty of rape and premeditated murder of Nada-Jane Chalita (4) on August 28.

She was found guilty on Count 2 (rape) and Count 3 (premeditated murder). However, she was not found guilty on Count 1 (sexual penetration by placing an unknown object in the anus of the deceased).

The case was then postponed to October 27 and 28, when evidence and arguments for mitigation and aggravation will be tabled.

@southern.courier Johannesburg High Court Judge Richard Mkhabela has convicted Amber Lee Hughes of raping and murdering a four-year-old, with sentencing arguments scheduled for October. Full story on our website: southerncourier.co.za #AmberLeeHughes #Mulbarton ♬ original sound – Southern Courier

Mkhabela read the 49-minute judgment, explaining that all three counts carry a prescribed life sentence. He related all the evidence by the State from the time Eli Chalita and Hughes met in October 2021.

NPA welcomes the verdict

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said it had been a long journey since 2023, and she hoped the family had found solace in the fact that the court had found Amber Lee Hughes guilty of rape and premeditated murder.

@southern.courier♬ original sound – Southern Courier

“Both these charges attract the minimum prescribed sentence of life imprisonment. This case is a grim reminder of the kind of toxic human behaviour we sometimes face. The accused before the court was a preschool teacher, a secondary caregiver of the deceased child. She was entrusted with the care, safety, and development of the minor; instead, she used that trust to bring harm to the family.

“This case is a stark reminder of the catastrophic consequences of not knowing the type of people we bring into our lives as human beings. We hope the father will find closure now that we’ve reached this stage. Going forward, as the NPA, we will argue for a sentence that will send a message that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated. As mothers, we are known to be nurturers, and, sadly, our children are dying at the hands of people who are supposed to protect them.

“This accused came before the court and pleaded not guilty at first, and later, when she realised that the evidence was overwhelming against her, she then had a change of heart and gave admissions as to how she drowned the deceased minor,” she said.

First step of healing for grieving father

Elie Chalita said the judgment was expected but short. He said every time they came to court, they had faith.

On the rape incidents, he said the court proved that she raped his daughter in the vagina, and he doubted that she could have spared her daughter from being raped in the anus, because she drowned and tortured her to death.

On closure, he said he is on two-thirds. “Three accusations, three counts – so two-thirds closure and a third is still hanging in the air. But that is the system, and we respect the outcome,” he said.

@southern.courier First step of healing for grieving father Elie Chalita said the judgment was expected but short. He said every time they came to court, they had faith. Full story on our website: southern courier.co.za #AmberLeeHughes #Mulbarton ♬ original sound – Southern Courier

He said it was a bit of relief and comparison when the judge read the judgment. “It doesn’t bring back the life of my child. She is found guilty, but that will never bring my child back – nothing will. It’s a mixed feeling of anger and relief.

“The justice I seek for my child doesn’t exist in this world or lifetime. We are all humans, the judge is human, and no one can bring back what is lost. My real justice starts here; it officially starts today with the judge finding her guilty. I am feeling slightly better, but now I’m emotional. I hope this feeling grows on me, but it can never erase what happened to my child.

“I’m not the real victim here, as much as I am a victim. The real and initial victim is my child – a human with a name and a character of her own – who was raped and tortured to death,” he said.

WATCH: Judgement looms in Mulbarton murder, rape after accused admits drowning child