The trial of a former pre-school teacher is expected to start in the High Court in Johannesburg this morning.

Amber Lee Hughes is facing two counts of rape and one count of murder.

She has confessed to killing her ex-boyfriend’s four-year-old daughter but pleaded not guilty to the rape charges.

The little girl was found drowned in a bathtub in her home in Glenvista, Johannesburg, in January 2023.

Hughes admitted that the whole incident was triggered by the fight she had with the father of the deceased.

She told the court through her lawyer that she was suffering from borderline personality disorder at the time of the killing but maintains that she was fully aware of her actions.

She says she killed the little girl by sitting on top of her face and left her in a bathtub, with cold tap water left running.

The court is expected to close arguments on her admissions.