A 66-year-old woman from Clapham, Janice Nix, has gone on trial at Isleworth Crown Court accused of manslaughter following the 1978 bath scalding death of five-year-old Andrea Bernard in Thornton Heath. The court heard that Andrea died weeks after sustaining severe scald injuries at a property on 6 June 1978. The case was reopened after Andrea’s brother contacted police in September 2022.
Long-delayed Justice
The fatal injuries suffered by Andrea were initially treated as accidental. New evidence emerged decades later prompting the Crown Prosecution Service to charge Nix, who was in her late teens at the time and responsible for the children while their father was away on work.
Allegations Of Sustained Abuse
Nix also denies cruelty charges related to the repeated mistreatment of Andrea and her brother. Prosecutors described a “cycle of violence” with beatings using a belt once or twice weekly, forced cold baths as punishment, and other abuses carried out when their chauffeur father was not present.
Brothers’ Role In Reopening Case
Andrea’s brother, Desmond, played a key role by contacting the police decades after the initial investigation. The court heard he suffered the most severe abuse in the family.
Ongoing Trial
The trial continues as jurors consider the evidence surrounding the tragic death and alleged longstanding cruelty suffered by the children.
