Mother stabs rapist to death after catching him attacking her daughter
'The truth finally came out,' mother says
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Your support makes all the difference.A woman in South Africa who stabbed her daughter's rapists, killing one and severely wounding two more, has spoken of her relief after the surviving men were jailed.
The 57-year-old mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, found Xolisa Siyeka, Mncedisi Vuba and Zamile Siyeka attacking her 27-year-old daughter in an empty house, according to South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority.
She previously told a court that a friend had alerted her to her daughter's situation and a call to the police had gone unanswered.
The mother stabbed the men with a kitchen knife, killing Zamila Siyeka and injuring the other two during the attack, which occurred on 1 September 2017 in Zwartwater.
She admitted to the killing and was initially arrested and charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder.
The decision to charge her prompted outrage in South Africa, where the 57-year-old has been hailed as a "lion mama" and praised for saving her daughter.
A fundraiser was launched to meet her legal fees and raised tens of thousands of rands.
Eventually South Africa's senior public prosecutor took the decision not to proceed with the prosecution, according to News 24.
Xolisa Siyeka and Vuba were convicted of raping the woman's daughter.
Each man was sentenced to 30 years in prison at Lady Frere Magistrate's Court.
Both men will have five years of their sentences suspended.
"I am happy about the judgment. I'm relieved. All I want is for people to be punished for doing wrong," the mother told News24 shortly after the sentencing.
"The truth finally came out. Even if it was my own child who had done the crime, I would want them to get reprimanded for doing something wrong."
She said that her daughter was also relieved by the outcome of the trial.