A woman from South London received a 12-year prison sentence after being found guilty of manslaughter for the death of her 5-year-old stepdaughter in 1978. Janice Nix, now 67, reportedly forced Andrea Bernard into a scalding bath, which resulted in her tragic death.
The conviction in May was largely due to the testimony provided by Andrea’s brother, Desmond Bernard, who was eight years old at the time of his sister’s death. Desmond had kept the truth hidden for nearly 50 years but came forward to reveal the details of the incident.
“The last memory I have of my sister’s life are my sister’s piercing screams and lying about her death,” said Desmond Bernard, now 56, at Nix’s sentencing hearing.
Andrea’s death had been officially recorded as an accident for almost half a century. The coroner’s report indicated she died from sepsis caused by severe burns. However, prosecutors revealed that Janice Nix used the scalding bath as a form of punishment, a part of broader abusive behavior that included beatings and cigarette burns.
The testimony further detailed that on June 6, 1978, Andrea was in trouble with Nix, who directed her to skip school to clean their home in Thornton Heath. Andrea attempted to flee, fearing another violent encounter from Nix, according to the prosecutors.