Cape Town - The father of slain Kensington toddler Jeremiah Ruiters says people are now blaming him for his son’s horrific death.
Speaking out for the first time since the child was murdered in June, Wesley Timm, 37, says he’s been called a maintenance dodger and deadbeat dad for not being there the day Jeremiah was beaten, raped and stabbed to death.
But a broken Timm says if he could turn back time, he would make sure he’d saved his son.
One-year-old Jeremiah was allegedly killed by his mother’s boyfriend Ameeruddien Peters at their home in Salmander Street in Kensington on June 12.
Peters took the child to the Kensington day hospital where he was declared dead.
The mother, Abigail Ruiters, 30, and her 26-year-old boyfriend were both arrested.
Ruiters is charged with murder and child neglect, and Peters with murder and rape.
Jeremiah Ruiters was allegedly raped, beaten and stabbed to death by his mom’s boyfriend in Kensington. Picture: Supplied
Ruiters is currently six months pregnant with Peters’ child. She and Wesley had three children together.
Timm says he will never forgive Ruiters for what happened to their youngest son.
“I’ve read all the articles and people are blaming me, wanting to know where I was, but they don’t know that I was there from the start,” the father says.
“We were together for 12 years, I reared those children until I left there in 2015. I tried to see them as often as I could, so how’s it possible I was astray from my children?” Timm asks.
He says after Jeremiah’s murder, he went to the Wendy house in Salmander Street to comfort his two daughters, and what he found “shocked” him.
“I built that place with my own hands; I built cupboards, put in a sink, bought a fridge. There was no food in the cupboards, no sink or fridge, the tap is gone,” he says.
“Did the stuff walk out of the house?”
The house Kensington was apparently not well maintained. Picture: Jack Lestrade/ANA Pictures
He says according to his eight-year-old daughter, there were many times she had to look after Jeremiah and her three-year-old sister on her own.
“The school called me in February to discuss my daughter’s absenteeism. She was out of school for more than 80 days last year.
“When I saw my daughter she was wearing a dirty pants a few sizes too big, dirty broken takkies, and a big shirt with only three buttons. I asked her why she is crying, but she did not want to say. She didn’t even eat.
“When I went to the house, the children were hungry, dressed in dirty pajamas, and barefoot. I paid maintenance for my children, so what did Abigail do with the money?” Timm asks.
Becoming emotional, the dad spoke of the day of Jeremiah’s death.
“I was at work and my mother called me. I was shocked. When I got to the clinic, Ameeruddien was busy making a statement.
“All I heard was he ran with the child and fell on him. I was asked by SAPS to go to the house. Abigail asked to go home to make funeral arrangements; the cops said no.
“There was blood on the outside of the door. In the room, we saw rags with blood on it.
“Later, when I heard about the rape, I was shocked. How could someone rape a child like that?” he says.
“I can’t describe how I feel but I don’t feel sorry for Abigail or Ameeruddien. They can stay where they are.”
The couple are back in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on August 16.