Woman guilty of killing stepdaughter, five, by scalding almost 50 years ago
Janice Nix has been found guilty of manslaughter for the death of her five-year-old stepdaughter, Andrea Bernard, nearly 50 years ago. The case was reopened after Andrea's brother provided new testimony about the incident, which had previously been deemed an accident. Nix was also convicted of cruelty towards her stepson during the same period.
- ▪Janice Nix was convicted of manslaughter and cruelty after a new account from Andrea Bernard's brother in 2022.
- ▪Andrea Bernard died in 1978 from severe burns after being scalded in a bath, which was initially ruled an accident.
- ▪Nix admitted to giving a false account of the events during a 1978 inquest, claiming she was panicked and unaware of the water's temperature.
4 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 2 hours. Coverage spans 2 points on the political spectrum — 1 lean left, 2 centre.
- ▪ Stepmum guilty of 1978 scalding killing of girl, 5 — BBC News — UK
- ▪ Stepmother found guilty of killing five-year-old girl in scalding bath almost 50 years ago — The Independent
- ▪ Stepmother guilty of killing five-year-old girl in scalding bath in 1978 — Sky News — Top
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — UK |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/may/26/janice-nix-guilty-killing-andrea-bernard-five-scalding-50-years-ago |
| Publication time | Tue, 26 May 2026 14:02:36 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-26T14:17:49.694Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-26T14:17:49.694Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Janice Nix leaves the Old Bailey in London in March 2025. Photograph: Ben Whitley/PAView image in fullscreenJanice Nix leaves the Old Bailey in London in March 2025. Photograph: Ben Whitley/PAUK newsWoman guilty of killing stepdaughter, five, by scalding almost 50 years agoJanice Nix convicted of manslaughter after brother of Andrea Bernard alters account of incident in 1978Matthew WeaverTue 26 May 2026 10.02 EDTLast modified on Tue 26 May 2026 10.11 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleA woman has been found guilty of killing her five-year-old stepdaughter by punishing her in a scalding hot bath almost 50 years ago.Andrea Bernard’s death in 1978 in Thornton Heath, south London, was treated as an accident until her older brother, Desmond Bernard, went to police in 2022 with a new account…
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