‘I’m a teacher and a mother. It’s my job to protect children’: South African woman who held her toddler as she fended off armed robbers responds to criticism she ‘put child in jeopardy’
- Kjersti Skanke was saying goodbye to guests when gunmen arrived at her home
- CCTV shows mother-of-two trying to secure the gates in Pinetown, South Africa
- As she fends off the three gunmen, she is holding her young child in her arms
- She was criticized, but hit back saying ‘I was trying to protect the children’
A hero South African mother who held her toddler as she fended off armed robbers trying to break into her home has defended herself against claims she put her child in danger.
Kjersti Skanke, a pre-school teacher, said the only thought in her mind was to stop the men from gaining access, as she ‘feared what they would to do the children’.
The mother-of-two had just said goodbye to her guests, including a pregnant woman and three young children, when the gunmen arrived at her gates at 10.40pm on Saturday.
CCTV footage from her home in Pinetown, near Durban, shows the fearless woman frantically trying to close the gates with her child on her hip, as the gang attack.
Kjersti Skanke (pictured with one of her children), a pre-school teacher, said the only thought in her mind was to stop the men from gaining access
Kjersti Skanke is seen on CCTV holding on to her toddler while trying to fend off an armed gang forcing their way through her gate in Pinetown, South Africa
The footage has been seen by thousands, prompting some to accuse Ms Skanke of risking her child’s life by doing so.
But Ms Skanke dismissed the claims, telling TimesLIVE: ‘I am a pre-school teacher and a mother. My job is to protect children.’
‘People are saying that what I did was stupid and are asking why I didn’t run. But at the time, my head wasn’t telling me to run. It was telling me to protect the children.
‘I was trying to stall them so the children could run out of the vehicles but I also didn’t want them to enter the property because I don’t know what they wanted and I feared what they would do to the children.’
Commenting the CCTV, security expert Andreas Mathios said: ‘The residents were busy saying goodbye to their friends, whose vehicles were still parked in the driveway, with the main driveway gate open because they were about to leave.
Ms Skanke said she ‘feared what they would do to the children’, one of whom is pictured with her, as she confronted the robbers at her home
Ms Skanke tries to close the gates as one of the gunmen rushes through with his assault rifle
Ms Skanke, a pre-school teacher, has explained that she did not run because she wanted to stop the men and protect the children
A man in red shorts, a family friend , comes to Ms Skanke’s aid and tries to secure the gates. He later falls to the ground as shots are fired
‘The suspects spotted the opportunity and stopped outside the property. As they approached the victims, one of the women standing in the driveway screamed when she saw a suspect armed with a firearm.’
Video footage shows the Ms Skanke manually closing the gate on the gunmen as one of the departing vehicles rushes back inside the property and reportedly crashes into a garage door.
A man in red shorts then attempts to help the mother close the gates but later drops to the floor after shots are fired.
The mother once again tries to secure the gates after the three gunmen leave the scene
One of the gunmen rushes through the gate as the mother crouches down on the floor and cradles her toddler in her arms.
The armed robber fires shots into the air before leaving the scene.
After several moments, the man in red shorts then returns to secure the gate.
Despite the male family friend falling to the ground when shots were fired, no injuries were reported.
Local police are investigating the incident.