The Oudtshoorn Regional Court has handed down a 20-year direct imprisonment sentence to Drezene Jonkerman, 39, for the brutal murder of her seven-year-old son, Ashwin. The tragic event, which occurred on Jonkerman’s 39th birthday, 11 August 2024, has left a community reeling and highlighted the devastating consequences of drug abuse and unresolved trauma.
The court heard that Jonkerman, in her plea and sentencing agreement, admitted to strangling Ashwin until his body went limp after claiming she saw the face of the boy’s father in him while bathing him. She then shockingly left his lifeless body in their home and proceeded to attend church.
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila, Jonkerman admitted in her plea that “she strangled her son after claiming she saw his father’s face on him while bathing him."
Upon her return from church, she found Ashwin still lying on the bed. It was then that she contacted a neighbour and emergency services, who confirmed the child had died.
Jonkerman admitted in court that she knew her actions could result in Ashwin's death, yet she still carried out the act with the intention to kill. She also conceded that she had no lawful justification for taking her son’s life. The plea stated that she did foresee that by strangling Ashwin, she could cause his death and despite that knowledge, she still proceeded to strangle him.
The sequence of events leading to the horrific act began earlier that day, Jonkerman's birthday. On what should have been her 39th birthday, Jonkerman woke up in her home in Oudtshoorn and prepared to attend church, according to her plea.
A friend came to her house and they used drugs. When the friend left, she finished preparing for church and started preparing Ashwin. It was during bath time when she suddenly started seeing the child’s father in her mind's-eye and got very angry.
In mitigation, Jonkerman claimed that her relationship with Ashwin’s father had been abusive and violent, involving drug use and alleged sexual assaults. She admitted having had a ‘very bad’ relationship with Ashwin’s father.
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.
However, state prosecutor Goulding Hyron challenged her claims, revealing that no formal charges were ever laid against the man. Hyron countered this claim as he led evidence where the deceased’s father denied the claims.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said there was also no official case that she opened against her ex-partner.
“The ex-partner conceded that they used drugs but her addiction worsened, and she started to sell groceries and the furniture of their house. He ended their relationship due to her drug use and months later he was informed that she had killed their child,” NPA Western Cape spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila said.
Hyron testified that while both parties had a history of drug abuse, Jonkerman’s addiction worsened over time, leading her to sell household groceries and furniture. He ended the relationship months before the murder.
The court found that the murder caused deep trauma, particularly to Ashwin’s dad and surviving siblings, who are also minors. Hyron described the crime as “heinous and uncalled for,” and noted the community’s continued shock and outrage.
A week before the killing, Jonkerman had told her pastor, who was also her employer, that she couldn’t attend church as she had been assaulted by drug dealers over unpaid debts, further illustrating the severity of her addiction.
Judge Matodza Molefe sentenced her to 25 years in prison, suspending five years on condition that she does not commit another murder within that period. She will be required to serve at least two-thirds of the sentence before she is eligible for parole.
The court also declared her unfit to work with children or own a firearm once released. This measure aims to protect vulnerable members of society from potential harm.
Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Nicolette Bell, condemned the act as a “callous and senseless killing”, stressing an urgent need to tackle drug abuse and protect the most vulnerable members of society, especially kids.
“This case underscores the devastating consequences of untreated addiction and unresolved trauma. But nothing can justify a mum murdering her own kid,” said Bell.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Eric Ntabazalila said: “This is a deeply disturbing case that highlights how substance abuse can destroy lives and families. The justice system has sent a clear message that violence against kids, no matter the circumstance, will not be tolerated."
The Oudtshoorn Regional Court in the Western Cape has sentenced a 39-year-old woman to 20 years’ imprisonment for the murder of her seven-year-old son.
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