Janice Nix, 67, is on trial accused of manslaughter in the death of her five-year-old stepdaughter, Andrea Bernard, who died after she was allegedly scalded in a hot bath in Thornton Heath, south London, on 6 June 1978. The prosecution case, as reported by multiple outlets, says Nix forced Andrea into a bath with water alleged to be scalding, causing severe burns. Reports also state that Andrea suffered extensive injuries, with one source saying burns covered about 50% of her body and that the injuries led to heart and lung failure.
Nix denies the charges. According to the accounts in the reports, she disputes that she killed Andrea and instead says she told Andrea’s brother to say the death was an accident.
Several reports refer to a wider pattern of alleged harsh punishments involving both Andrea and her then-eight-year-old brother, Desmond Bernard. These outlets say the brother later provided a new account to police in 2022, leading to the current prosecution. The trial is therefore focused on whether the death resulted from criminally negligent or intentional conduct by Nix, as well as the credibility of accounts provided by the child witnesses.
