State drops second rape charge against pre-school teacher Hughes

The state has conceded that it does not have sufficient evidence to prove the second charge of rape in the trial against former pre-school teacher, Amber Lee Hughes.

Hughes appeared at the Johannesburg High Court on Wednesday, facing two counts of rape and one count of murder. She has confessed to killing her ex-boyfriend’s four-year-old daughter, while pleading not guilty to the rape charges.

The court heard that pathology examinations reveal unclear evidence of penetration in the little girl’s private parts. The little girl was found drowned in a bathtub in her Glenvista home in January 2023.

The state believes that the murder of the four-year-old was premeditated. The case has been postponed to the 28th of this month for judgment.

NPA spokesperson, Phindi Mjonondwane explains, “We pleaded with the court to return a guilty verdict, to take into consideration evidence in its totality. More especially, the evidence that we have submitted as the state, which we believe was sufficient enough to prove our case beyond a reasonable charge in respect of the charge of murder, which we say was premeditated as the state. As well as the one count of rape. We conceded, as the state, that we did not have sufficient evidence to prove the second charge of rape. However, we believe that the court will make a just decision after all the arguments.”