‘LionMama’ now fears retribution

THE woman dubbed #LionMama‚ who no longer faces criminal charges for stabbing to death her daughter’s alleged rapist‚ must overcome a new hurdle – fear of retribution.

There was a sense of euphoria after murder and attempted murder charges were withdrawn on Monday at the Lady Frere Magistrate’s Court.

But now the Eastern Cape woman‚ who cannot be named to protect the identity of her daughter‚ and her daughter fear for their safety.

The mother’s legal representative‚ Buhle Tonise‚ said yesterday that the two women were worried that relatives of the dead man or members of the community would seek retribution.

The mother and daughter want to get away but they cannot afford to. Police officers have given assistance and assured the mother they would patrol the area.

There is tension in the area over the way the man died. The young woman who raised the alarm‚ telling the mother that three men were raping her daughter‚ is being blamed for the man’s death by his relatives‚ Tonise said.

“The one who went to call the mother is also a witness in the case. The family had told her that she was the cause of him dying. They told her if she hadn’t reported the rape, he would still be alive today. The family is still angry‚ they don’t have support because [others in the community] believe that what the mother did was correct‚” Tonise said.

“The father of the deceased also said that he would prefer that his son be punished by the courts and not be killed.”

And the 27-year-old victim of the alleged rape had been tormented by guilt‚ fearing that her mother would be jailed for protecting her‚ Tonise said.

Security at the woman’s home will be improved‚ thanks to a crowdfunding page set up by Natalie Kendrick after she read about the mother being arrested.

“The mother is worried about her security. She doesn’t feel safe when she goes to bed at night‚” Kendrick said.

The crowdfunding page has raised more than R131 000.

Two men also accused of raping the daughter were due to appear in court yesterday. – TimesLIVE