A social worker who assessed Amber Lee Hughes who confessed to killing her ex-boyfriend’s four-year-old daughter says the former pre-school teacher grew up exposed to traumatic events from a very young age.

Johanna Wolmarans was testifying during pre-sentencing proceedings at the High Court in Johannesburg.

Hughes was convicted of premeditated murder and vaginal rape in August after confessing to killing Nada Jane Challita in 2023.

She has pleaded not guilty to the rape charge.

Wolmarans says Hughes had difficulties managing her emotions and behaviour as she grew older.

“The traumas, it was mentioned before and I also found it during my investigation that the accused was indeed diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The accused could not cope with all these incidents, three of them happening in one year. She was six years old at that point in time.”