There are times when things happen that turn your world upside down. Some of them are for the best, but others turn out to be misfortunes. Alison Botha struggled through the trauma of what had occurred to her and started a new chapter in her life.
Alison had just turned 27 when she was kidnapped and raped. Anyone who went through what she did would be furious and in tears.
Learn more about Alison Botha’s miraculous escape after being raped and stabbed numerous times by her captors in this detailed account of her ordeal.
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Like every other South African girl
When the incident occurred, Alison Botha was just like any other South African teenager. When she was only 10 years old, her parents split up. She and her mum and bro grew up in Port Elizabeth.
Alison, a hardworking senior at the Collegiate High School for Girls, was elected valedictorian. She took some time off after finishing college to see the world. Insurance brokering was Alison’s line of business when she was attacked.
The Attack:
Alison was taken from her South African home on December 18th, 1994. The woman had a routine night out with her pals and then drove herself back to her Port Elizabeth flat. The 27-year-old woman could sense someone following her as soon as she parked her car.
A man brandishing a knife attempted to break into the car. The assailant told her she had to switch seats or he’d lock her in the car. The words, “Move over or I will kill you,” came directly from his mouth.
She was scared into taking the passenger seat, but she did as she was told. A man jumped in the driver’s seat, turned on the engine, and floored it. He introduced himself as Clinton and said he didn’t mean any harm, only needed to borrow her car for an hour.
Clinton picked up his pal by driving to a different part of the city. The guys then took Alison to someplace far away from civilization.
The Assailants Stabbed and Raped her Repeatedly.
Frans du Toit, posing as Clinton, was actually Theuns Kruger, a friend of du Toit’s. Both males had been convicted of domestic violence in the past. They threatened to have sex with Alison and challenged her to a fight.
Already nervous, Alison’s main concern was staying alive. Therefore, she said she wouldn’t engage in hostilities with them. Toit and Kruger raped and attempted to suffocate the victim after forcibly exposing themselves to her.
Even if she felt out of it, she was still alive. The news that Alison was stabbed 30 times in the stomach before she passed out will likely upset you. Her internal organs were mangled beyond repair.
The males feared she had passed away. In a short while, though, they saw that her leg was twitching. It angered them, and they slashed her throat 16 times to ensure she was dead. She distinctly remembers the sound of her flesh being slashed open as they slashed her.
Alison attempted to rationalise the situation, but everything seemed implausible. They were confident she was dead after they sliced her throat and stabbed her dozens of times. They returned to her car, abandoned her body there, and drove off.
A Woman’s Struggle for Freedom
Alison Botha made it through everything that happened that night, so you may call it a miracle if you choose. When she realised this could be her last night alive, she made up her mind to do whatever it took to help the police find her killers.
So, Alison scrawled the names of her assailants on the pavement. ‘I Love Mom’ was scribbled underneath as well. Alison was in excruciating pain by that point. She had accepted her inevitable demise.
She had just taken a final breath when she noticed car headlights approaching. If she could just get to the road, there was a chance she could make it. The courageous woman got to her feet and tried to walk to the road, but she couldn’t.
She was frail from the pain and bleeding. She thought she felt her intestines leaking out of her stomach. Injuries and blood loss made her fall repeatedly, but eventually she was able to get to the road.
Those Random Strangers Came to Alison’s Rescue.
As fate would have it, a kind stranger came to her aid on the deserted highway at night. Tiaan Eilerd, a veterinary student, also travelled this route. He came upon Alison unconscious in the middle of the road. He stopped his car in order to assess the situation.
While calling for help, Tiaan used his veterinary training to staunch Alison’s bleeding and treat her wounds and cuts. He went so far as to say that God had a purpose in putting him on that road at that time.
Alison was quickly taken to the emergency room. When they saw her injuries, the physicians were taken aback. The fact that Alison was still alive after receiving such horrific wounds was even more of a surprise.
The Rescue of Alison and the Arrest of Her Captors
The courageous woman’s recovery from her extensive wounds took several months. She even told the cops who attacked her and how they could find them. Alison was able to positively identify both of her attackers from photos taken by police while she was still in the hospital.
‘Ripper Rapists’ was even a label used by the media to describe them. The cops were fast to make an arrest. The eight counts against them that both suspects admitted to include rape, kidnapping, and attempted murder. Their guilt was determined and prison terms were handed down in August of 1995.
Alison’s Post-Attack Experience
The life of Alison Botha is a tragedy in every sense of the word. The news of the occurrence quickly travelled throughout the globe. Many folks couldn’t believe the woman made it through the night.
A documentary about her life was released in 2016. The documentary depicts the terrible events of that night and emphasises the incredible feat of her survival. Alison was quite enthusiastic about telling her tale to others. She visited more than 35 countries and gave speeches there.
Both of Alison Botha’s Two Sons
Before they started dating, Alison and Tienie Botha had known one other for a long time. A year after her attack, they found each other and bonded through their experiences. Tienne’s depression was the result of an unsolved traumatic event from her youth, and Alison was going through similar struggles.
Alison claims that the bond between the three of them was strengthened because of their shared need for rescue. It was only natural for us to talk about our future together, since we planned to spend our entire lives together. In February of 1997, they became husband and wife.
In November 2003, they had Danial, and in November 2006, they had Matthew. “Becoming a mother is the most humbling experience of my life because everything I do is for my child,” said one woman. She mentioned in an interview that she hopes to one day tell her story to her sons.
She thinks they should learn everything from her directly rather than through a book or a show. She did, however, add that she waits for them to ask before bringing it up.
When my eldest kid, then aged five, noticed a scar on the back of my neck, he inquired about it. My explanation was simply, “Mommy was hurt, and sometimes when you get hurt, you get a scar afterward.”
That settled it for me. They determine for themselves what they can eat. They’ve grown curious as they’ve gained cognitive maturity and a thirst for knowledge.
Know More About Alison’s Life
It’s interesting to learn about Alison Brotha’s life. The woman kept going after the terrible thing that happened to her. Her career as a motivational speaker and author has skyrocketed in recent years.
Alison left her employment in December 1995 to pursue a career in public speaking. She told her tale to the world, detailing how she overcame adversity and moved on with her life.
Alison is the title of a documentary by director Uga Carlini. The woman has written two books, titled “I Have Life” and “For the Tough Times: Alison’s Survivors,” in addition to this. Her story is told in both of these volumes.
Alison Botha will begin her tenure as an Executive Board Member at Hawaii Pacific Health in the new year of 2020. She keeps telling her tale in the hopes that it would help others overcome their own adversity and realise their own potential for success.
