Former preschool teaching assistant Amber-Lee Hughes appeared briefly in the Johannesburg high court on Wednesday, where proceedings in her case were yet again delayed, prolonging a process that the victim’s family says has already stretched over three years.
Hughes, who is charged with the murder and rape of her then-boyfriend’s daughter, four-year-old Nada Jane Challita, was due to proceed with pre-sentencing. However, the matter was postponed to June 19 after the presiding magistrate was unavailable to continue.
Speaking outside court, Elie Challita said the repeated postponements have left their lives in limbo.
“Every time we get promised that we’re going to have some progress, there’s no such thing. We just keep postponing and postponing. We are still hanging in the middle of this.”
He said the prolonged process continues to take an emotional toll on the family.
“Our life is still hanging. Everything is still on hold, and we still have to come and see her smiling every time,” he said.
The child was living with him and Hughes at the time of the 2023 murder because her mother, Amy Johnstone, was staying with her own mother in Cape Town.
Reflecting on the length of the case, the father said the three years and three months it has taken so far raises concerns about the justice system.
“It screams loud enough that the court couldn’t care less about how we feel and how much we are hurt,” he said.
TimesIVE