Little Jeremiah Ruiters would have celebrated his third birthday on Monday. Instead, the murdered toddler was commemorated with a tombstone unveiling at Maitland Cemetery.
The boy’s paternal aunt, Petina Timm, says the ceremony was the only way they could mark his birthday.
“We would’ve loved to have a little kiddies-themed party as I personally do for my child but the tombstone was the only way we as family could commemorate his birth date,” Petina says.
“We haven’t spent much time with him, only the moments we had on the day of his baptism. He was a sweet little boy, a typical cute baby as in the pictures we still have of him.”
The family say all they want is justice.
TOMBSTONE: Jeremiah remembered on his birthday
“We want justice to be served. We’d like them (the accused) to explain why all this took place and if they can justify their actions,” Petina says.
Mom, Abigail Ruiters, 30, and her boyfriend, Ameerudien Peters, 26, are charged with the rape and murder of Jeremiah.
It is alleged in June 2017, Peters, who was looking after the tot, raped, beat and stabbed him to death at their home.
He took the child to the clinic, where he was declared dead on arrival.
Ruiters is charged with murder and child neglect under the Children’s Act.
In July, the couple were slapped with two more charges of child abuse in relation to Ruiters’ two surviving children, both under 10.
It took nearly a year for their bail application to be finalised and in June, Ruiters was released on R2 000 bail in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court.
They go on trial in the Western Cape High Court in March.