Criminal charges against the Eastern Cape woman who allegedly stabbed her daughter’s alleged rapists were withdrawn on Monday.

Thousands filled the Lady Frere Magistrate’s Court to capacity to hear magistrate Bala Mhlanga withdrawing murder and attempted murder charges against the woman‚ dubbed #LionMama.

Mhlanga withdrew the case after prosecutor Fikile Seti said the director of public prosecution had informed him that the case is being withdrawn.

The woman‚ who cannot be named to protect her 27-year-old daughter who is an alleged rape victim‚ allegedly fatally stabbed one of the alleged rapists and wounded two others after she allegedly caught them gang raping her daughter.

Soon after she was told the charges against her would not be pursued‚ she thanked scores of people‚ which included politicians from OR Tambo‚ Nelson Mandela Bay‚ Amathole‚ Alfred Nzo and local municipalities around the Chris Hani District Municipality‚ at a community hall.

“I felt like an old baboon which has no friends‚ but today you showed me that I have people. Thank you for the support‚” she said.

The case against the woman made national headlines with people donating over R130‚000 towards her legal costs.

This was after Cape Town resident Natalie Kendrick started a crowdfunding initiative.

Patrick Godana of Sonke Gender Justice said they came all the way from Cape Town to support the woman.

“I am happy at the decision taken by the DPP as it shows that the justice system saw no need to prosecute the woman‚” he said.

Social Development MEC Nancy Sihlwayi said they are happy as the department that the justice system saw no need to prosecute the woman and she still regards her as her hero.

“We need to campaign against any sort of abuse against women‚ because the mother is not the only victim in this case. The raped daughter‚ family and the community are all victims of this crime.

“She did all she could just to protect her child and did not mean to kill one of the perpetrators‚” Sihlwayi said.