A mother, accused of murdering her one-year-old son, told a court she cannot remember how many times she washed him during his short lifetime.
This as the State prosecutor was leading up to questioning Abigail Ruiters that she did not notice the many wounds and injuries on the little boy’s body.
Ruiters, 31, and her ex-boyfriend Ameerodien Peters, 28, are on trial at the Western Cape High Court for the murder and rape of Jeremiah Ruiters at their Kensington home in June 2017.
On Monday, Ruiters shocked the court when she accused Peters of raping and killing her son.
“He was alone with the children, so wie anders kon dit wees?” she said.
VICTIM: Jeremiah Ruiters
Peters previously testified he looked after her three children while she went to work.
During a second day of cross-examination on Tuesday, State prosecutor Maria Marshall asked Ruiters how frequently she would wash her son.
She responded: “I can’t remember. Ameerodien offered to wash Jeremiah so when I got home at night, he was washed.”
Peters seems disinterested in court proceedings and was seen sleeping in the dock with his head leaned back.
When her son died, Ruiters was working at a wholesaler in Epping seven days a week.
“So you’re saying, during the week you didn’t wash him, on weekends you didn’t wash him, only accused one (Peters) did. Then I get the impression you never washed Jeremiah,” Marshall submitted.
Ruiters responded: “I did wash him. I just can’t remember how many times.”
ON STAND: Ameerodien Peters is on trial for murder and rape of 1-year-old Jeremiah Ruiters. Picture: Robin-Lee Francke
Marshall also questioned Ruiters on Jeremiah’s hygiene.
“You heard the evidence that on the day Jeremiah died, his hair, body and clothes were dirty.
“The pathologist also notably saw he was dirty. What do you have to say?” Marshall asked.
Ruiters responded: “Yes, I heard [the evidence]. No comment.”
Marshall then pulled out Jeremiah’s post-mortem pictures to emphasise the filth on the child’s body.
“It looks like a child that hasn’t been washed in a long time,” Marshall stated.
VUIL: Dirty state of the Kensington house of the suspects.
But Judge Monde Samela interrupted and raised eyebrows when he stood up for the accused, saying: “Let’s try not to traumatise the witness and show her the pictures and try to be sensitive.”
Ruiters then broke down in tears and became inconsolable and court was adjourned for the day.
Peters is charged with rape and murder, while Ruiters is charged with murder and child neglect under the Children’s Act.
The duo is facing two more charges of child abuse relating to Ruiters’ two older children.