A woman has gone on trial accused of raping the four-year-old daughter of her lover before drowning her in a bath.
Preschool teacher Amber Lee Hughes, 25, is said to have moved in with the girl’s father after the pair began a romantic relationship – but allegedly began to threaten to harm the child during their out-of-control arguments, South Africa‘s National Prosecuting Authority said. When the girl was left alone with the woman on January 23 2023, she is alleged to have raped the child by inserting an object in her private parts, before drowning her and cutting both her wrists, Johannesburg High Court heard yesterday.
Her body was found floating in the the bathtub.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson 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.”
“The deceased’s lifeless body was later found floating in the bathtub.”
Hughes has pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape and murder.
The court also heard testimony from the first witness at the beginning of proceedings yesterday. The trial continues.
It comes after a man admitted raping a newborn baby to death while his wife was out buying his daughter nappies.
Hugo Ferreira, 37, from Welverdiend, South Africa, brutally killed his daughter when she was just one week old.
Speaking to the media, he admitted that he wanted to “give her something to cry about” before carrying out a sickening sexual assault.
He later threatened to kill the baby’s mother.
Ferreira recalled the moment he carried out the evil attack on the child, and said during his trial: “I grabbed the baby hard and in the process, I pushed her head against the surface on which I was working.
“I accept that it was a cruel and gruesome attack, especially on such a young baby. The action was clearly illegal and I did it with intent.”
He added: “When her mother returned, I realised she would see that something was wrong. I kept the baby away from her until later the day. I did this because I realised the baby was seriously injured.”
During a hearing at Gauteng Crown Court on Thursday 3 April, Judge Portia Phahlane described Ferreira’s crimes as “brutal, ruthless and monstrous” before ordering he be jailed for life.
She added that there was no mitigation to the maximum sentence after the 37-year-old admitted to raping and murdering the newborn.
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