diff --git a/backend/apps/comment/managers.py b/backend/apps/comment/managers.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..064477d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/apps/comment/managers.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+from django.db import models
+
+from .models import CommentModel
+
+
+class CommentManager(models.Manager):
+    def soft_delete(self, instance: CommentModel):
+        # if no children- hard delete
+        if instance.children_count == 0:
+            instance.delete()
+        # else- soft delete
+        else:
+            instance.deleted = True
+            instance.content = "[deleted]"
+            instance.save()
+
+    def clean_up_soft_deleted(self):
+        self.filter(deleted=True, children_count=0).delete()
diff --git a/backend/apps/comment/models.py b/backend/apps/comment/models.py
index 578b369..92ae2db 100644
--- a/backend/apps/comment/models.py
+++ b/backend/apps/comment/models.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 class CommentModel(CreatedAtMixin, TreeModel):
     quibbler = models.ForeignKey(
-        ProfileModel, on_delete=models.CASCADE, verbose_name=_('quibbler')
+        ProfileModel, on_delete=models.SET_NULL, null=True, verbose_name=_('quibbler')
     )
     content = models.TextField(_('content'))
     upvotes = models.ManyToManyField(
@@ -20,13 +20,15 @@ class CommentModel(CreatedAtMixin, TreeModel):
     downvotes = models.ManyToManyField(
         ProfileModel, related_name='downvotes', blank=True, verbose_name=_('downvotes')
     )
+    # flag
+    deleted = models.BooleanField(default=False)
 
     @property
     def children_count(self):
         return self.children().count()
 
     def __str__(self) -> str:
-        return f"Comment by {self.quibbler.username}"
+        return f"Comment by {self.quibbler}"
 
     class Meta:  # pyright: ignore
         indexes = [idx.GistIndex(fields=['path'])]
diff --git a/backend/locale/.gitkeep b/backend/locale/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/backend/locale/en/LC_MESSAGES/django.po b/backend/locale/en/LC_MESSAGES/django.po
deleted file mode 100644
index 4f84a81..0000000
--- a/backend/locale/en/LC_MESSAGES/django.po
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,139 +0,0 @@
-# SOME DESCRIPTIVE TITLE.
-# Copyright (C) YEAR THE PACKAGE'S COPYRIGHT HOLDER
-# This file is distributed under the same license as the PACKAGE package.
-# FIRST AUTHOR <EMAIL@ADDRESS>, YEAR.
-#
-#, fuzzy
-msgid ""
-msgstr ""
-"Project-Id-Version: PACKAGE VERSION\n"
-"Report-Msgid-Bugs-To: \n"
-"POT-Creation-Date: 2024-12-08 13:19+0530\n"
-"PO-Revision-Date: YEAR-MO-DA HO:MI+ZONE\n"
-"Last-Translator: FULL NAME <EMAIL@ADDRESS>\n"
-"Language-Team: LANGUAGE <LL@li.org>\n"
-"Language: \n"
-"MIME-Version: 1.0\n"
-"Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8\n"
-"Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n"
-"Plural-Forms: nplurals=2; plural=(n != 1);\n"
-
-#: apps/quib/models.py:14
-msgid "quiblet"
-msgstr ""
-
-#: apps/quib/models.py:20
-msgid "quibber"
-msgstr "Quibbler"
-
-#: apps/quib/models.py:23
-msgid "title"
-msgstr "Title"
-
-#: apps/quib/models.py:24
-msgid "slug"
-msgstr "Slug"
-
-#: apps/quib/models.py:25
-msgid "content"
-msgstr "Content"
-
-#: apps/quib/models.py:27
-msgid "likes"
-msgstr "Likes"
-
-#: apps/quib/models.py:30
-msgid "dislikes"
-msgstr "Dislikes"
-
-#: apps/quiblet/models.py:12
-msgid "name"
-msgstr "Name"
-
-#: apps/quiblet/models.py:13
-msgid "description"
-msgstr "Description"
-
-#: apps/quiblet/models.py:15
-msgid "cover"
-msgstr "Cover"
-
-#: apps/quiblet/models.py:21
-msgid "members"
-msgstr "Members"
-
-#: apps/quiblet/models.py:24
-msgid "rangers"
-msgstr "Rangers"
-
-#: apps/user/admin.py:17
-msgid "permissions"
-msgstr "Permissions"
-
-#: apps/user/admin.py:22 apps/user/admin.py:50
-msgid "important dates"
-msgstr "Important dates"
-
-#: apps/user/forms.py:39
-msgid "a user cannot have more than 5 profiles."
-msgstr "A user cannot have more than 5 profiles."
-
-#: apps/user/models.py:11
-msgid "email address"
-msgstr "Email Address"
-
-#: apps/user/models.py:12
-msgid "date joined"
-msgstr "Date Joined"
-
-#: apps/user/models.py:14
-msgid "staff status"
-msgstr "Staff status"
-
-#: apps/user/models.py:16
-msgid "designates whether the user can log into this admin site."
-msgstr "Designates whether this user should be treated as active."
-
-#: apps/user/models.py:19
-msgid "active"
-msgstr "Active"
-
-#: apps/user/models.py:22
-msgid ""
-"designates whether this user should be treated as active. unselect this "
-"instead of deleting accounts."
-msgstr ""
-"Designates whether this user should be treated as active. Unselect this "
-"instead of deleting accounts."
-
-#: apps/user/models.py:39
-msgid "username"
-msgstr "Username"
-
-#: apps/user/models.py:40
-msgid "first name"
-msgstr "First Name"
-
-#: apps/user/models.py:41
-msgid "last name"
-msgstr "Last Name"
-
-#: common/mixins.py:13
-msgid "create at"
-msgstr "Created At"
-
-#: common/mixins.py:38
-msgid "color"
-msgstr "Color"
-
-#: common/mixins.py:52
-msgid "avatar"
-msgstr "Avatar"
-
-#: common/mixins.py:65
-msgid "is public"
-msgstr "Is Public"
-
-#: common/mixins.py:75
-msgid "id"
-msgstr "Id"