A 67-year-old woman has been convicted of manslaughter for the death of her five-year-old stepdaughter in a scalding bath in 1978. Janice Nix was found guilty at Isleworth Crown Court on Tuesday, nearly five decades after Andrea Bernard died from burns covering 50% of her body.
The court heard that the case was reopened after Andrea's brother, Desmond Bernard, now 56, changed his account of the incident in 2022. He testified that Nix had instructed him to say it was an accident and that he had initially lied because he feared further beatings.
On 6 June 1978, Nix was angry that Andrea had ignored instructions to stay home and help clean. Desmond told jurors he heard Nix shouting, 'Get in the bath,' and Andrea crying, 'The bath is too hot mummy,' followed by screaming and splashing. He later found his sister's limp body with 'skin falling off her.'
A burns expert testified that a child would instinctively try to escape such hot water, suggesting Nix forcibly held Andrea under. Nix, who denied the charges, claimed she had not realised the water was scalding and admitted giving a false account to the inquest due to panic.
Nix was also convicted of cruelty to Desmond between 1975 and 1978, including beatings, biting, and making him eat cat food. She was remanded in custody for sentencing at a later date.
Desmond Bernard said after the verdict: 'I am happy with the conviction, solely because she now must take responsibility for her actions.' Aisling Hosein of the Crown Prosecution Service stated: 'No matter how much time has passed, we will always seek to prosecute perpetrators of these horrific crimes.'
