Nada-Jane’s father says guilty verdict offers little comfort

JOHANNESBURG - The father of four-year-old Nada-Jane Challita says no amount of jail term will bring his daughter back. 

Speaking outside the High Court in Johannesburg after the judgment on Thursday, Elie Challita said: “The justice that I seek does not exist in this world nor in any lifetime. 

"We are all human, so is the judge, no one can bring back a life that has been lost. My justice will never be on this life or earth.

READ | Self-confessed child killer Amber Lee-Hughes to know her fate

Amber Lee Hughes is guilty of the vaginal rape and premeditated murder of Nada-Jane. 

The little girl was discovered drowned in a bathtub in her home in January 2023.

Nada-Jane Challita

Last month, Hughes admitted to drowning her but denied rape charges. 

The state argued the killing stemmed from a dispute between Hughes and the child’s father.

A shattered Challita says losing his daughter has turned his life around.

“I was once at the top of the ladder, but the moment I lost my child, I fell to the ground. I lost my entire life,” he said. 

He says while the guilty verdict offers a small measure of comfort and hopes it will be enough to start his healing process.

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