Abducted boy, 9, found safe

Fagan Ruiters, 9, was abducted from school by his stepfather, Jerome Geduld. Fagan's parents are estranged.

Fagan Ruiters, 9, was abducted from school by his stepfather, Jerome Geduld. Fagan's parents are estranged.

Published Oct 21, 2014

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Cape Town - Fagan Ruiters, the 9-year-old Hanover Park pupil abducted from school last week, is safely back home, but police are continuing their hunt for his stepfather.

His stepfather, Jerome Geduld, 32, told the school, Morgenson Primary, on Wednesday that the boy’s mother, Anastacia Ruiters, had died.

Geduld completed an indemnity form before Ruiters was passed into his care by the school secretary.

Police were tipped off by one of Geduld’s relatives on Friday that he and the child would be in Lavender Hill.

They organised a stakeout, but Geduld failed to turn up.

Police then swooped on Geduld’s mother’s home in Lavender Hill, where they found Fagan.

 

The investigating officer, Colonel Desmond Laing, said the boy was tired and hungry when police found him. He had not eaten for three days, and he seemed distressed.

“Geduld had phoned his mother asking her for clothes and food for the child. When we heard from one of his family members that they would be at the house in Lavender Hill, we moved in.”

Police would not charge Geduld’s mother with obstructing justice and harbouring a fugitive, because she was in poor health, Laing said on Monday night.

He said Geduld had answered his phone when police called. For three days it was a “game of cat and mouse” between police and Geduld as he continued to renege on promises to meet police at locations and to hand over Ruiters.

Western Cape Education MEC Debbie Schafer’s spokeswoman, Jessica Shelver, could not be reached on Monday night.

Anyone with details of Geduld’s whereabouts should call Laing at 082 469 3016 or Constable Pearl Absolon of the Nyanga police at 073 395 6956. Information may be given to Crime Stop anonymously on 08600 10111, or SMS Crime Line on 32211.

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Cape Times

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