Oudtshoorn mother kills 7-year-old son after 'seeing his father's face'

The Oudtshoorn Regional Court has sentenced 39-year-old Drezene Jonkerman to an effective 20 years behind bars following her conviction for the murder of her son, as she claimed to have "seen the boy’s father’s face on him as she washed him".

In a plea and sentencing agreement with the State, Jonkerman told the court that August 11, 2024, was her birthday, and she was at home in Korhaan Avenue, Oudtshoorn, preparing to go to church.

Her 7-year-old son, Ashwin Jonkerman, was with her when a friend came to her house and they used drugs.

When the friend left, she finished preparing for church and woke up Ashwin.

As she started washing him she thought about Ashwin’s father.

"She claimed that she and the deceased’s father had a very bad relationship, and she saw the deceased’s father in her minds-eye while washing the deceased and got very angry," said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila. 

"She started strangling him until his body became limp and carried him to the bedroom.

"She left his limp body in the bedroom and went to church.

"She came back from church and found his limp body still lying on the bed."

She then called a neighbour and an ambulance, which confirmed Ashwin had passed away.

Ntabazalila said Jonkerman admitted that she did foresee that by strangling him, she could cause his death and despite that knowledge, she still proceeded to strangle him.

"She further admitted that her intention was to kill him and had no lawful reason to kill him.

"In her mitigation of sentence, the 39-year-old mother of two other minor children claimed that she and her ex-boyfriend, the father of the deceased, had a very tumultuous relationship.

"She claimed that he used drugs, assaulted and raped her on various occasions.

"She did not report these incidents because she was financially dependent on him. Regional court prosecutor Goulding Hyron countered this claim as he led evidence where the deceased’s father denied the claims."

There is also no official case that Jonkerman opened against her ex-partner.

The ex-partner conceded that they used drugs, and her addiction allegedly worsened.

"He ended their relationship due to her drug use and months later he was informed that she had killed their child. A week before the murder, she was asked by her pastor who was also her employer why she didn’t go to church," Ntabazalila said. 

She told her pastor that she could not go to church as drug lords assaulted her because of outstanding drug debts.

Hyron argued that Ashwin’s murder traumatised his father and his siblings who are also still minors.

The court sentenced the Jonkerman to 25 years imprisonment with five years suspended for five years on condition that she is not convicted of murder committed during the period of suspension.

The court ordered the accused to serve two-thirds of her sentence before she is considered for release on parole.

The court declared her unfit to work with children when she is released from prison and unfit to possess a firearm.

Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Adv Nicolette Bell, expressed shock at the murder and emphasised the importance of dealing with the scourge of drugs.

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