The injuries on little Jeremiah Ruiters’ penis were initially thought to be nappy rash, the Western Cape High Court heard on Tuesday.
Murder accused Ameerodien Peters, 28, who is testifying in his own defence, was shown of the toddler’s private parts and asked to explain it.
According to Peters, he was the primary caregiver of his girlfriend Abigail Ruiters’ three children.
State Prosecutor Maria Marshall asked Peters how Jeremiah injured his penis.
Peters responded: “We thought it was a nappy rash. We only later found out in court that it was not a nappy rash.”
But, Marshall said according to the doctor’s reports, there were fresh wounds as well as scars from old wounds.
“I can’t say, I don’t know anything about those scars,” Peters responded.
GONE: Jeremiah Ruiters, 1
When asked about the puncture wounds on the side of Jeremiah’s head, Peters claimed he didn’t know about it.
“His hair was long at the time and I never saw those injuries on his head,” Peters testified.
When the direct implication was that it was Ruiters who injured the child, Peters took responsibility.
“Jeremiah was in my care and if anything happened to him and I wasn’t present, I must be responsible as I am the one who took care of him,” Peters said.
Peters and Ruiters are currently on trial for the one-year-old toddler’s rape and murder at their home in Kensington, in June 2017.