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Pregnant woman charged with rape and murder of her toddler

A pregnant woman has been charged with the rape and murder of her 18-month-old son.

Octavia Ruiters initially faced a charge of negligence — under the Children’s Act — when her boyfriend‚ Ameer Peters‚ was arrested for the murder of little Jeremiah.

The pair appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court last week where Octavia’s distraught parents watched from the public gallery and sobbed incessantly.

 On Wednesday her father‚ Ronald Ruiters‚ said he was in court when the new charges were put to his daughter.

“I am so distraught‚ I am not myself. I am so sad. But I have to be stable‚ I don’t want to get sick again. I was in hospital over the weekend‚’’ said Ruiters‚ who said it has been difficult to tell Octavia’s two other children that Jeremiah would never return.

 But the well-known pastor from Kensington refused to believe Octavia could be involved: “She was at work [when it happened].”

 Octavia‚ 30‚ is six months pregnant with Peters’ child and is being held at the hospital section at Pollsmoor.

 Octavia and her children’s father separated and he has married someone else.

 Ruiters said the children’s paternal grandmother is taking care of them for now.

The couple are set to appear in court on July 5 again.

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