Alison Botha: Rape survivor’s new fight after brain surgery

Alison Botha, whose harrowing rape ordeal and tale of survival made headlines worldwide almost 30 years ago, has undergone brain surgery to relieve fluid build-up after suffering an aneurysm.

In an update shared on social media, her lawyer Tania Koen said Alison has opened her eyes and “at times she communicates but any prediction is premature”.

“Her pre-existing medical conditions due to the attack years ago have severely complicated an already severe medical scenario and keep creating other areas of concern as well,” Koen revealed.

She described the bleeding on Alison’s brain as “severe” and added that medical tests in the coming weeks will determine the full extent of what will be required for the rape survivor’s rehabilitation.

Alison Botha: Surviving the ‘unsurvivable’

Alison, who survived the “unsurvivable” after two men raped and savagely mutilated her in December 1994 on the outskirts of Gqeberha (then Port Elizabeth), was rushed to a public hospital in George on 25 September – just days after her 57th birthday.

Since then, she has been transferred to a Cape Town hospital where a stent and catheter to drain the fluid were inserted in her brain last Thursday.

The mother of two, a well-known speaker both locally and internationally after surviving the attack, was one of the first women in South Africa to identify herself publicly as a rape victim.

Throughout the years, the “survivor turned warrior” rose above her personal ordeal to help victims of gender-based violence (GBV) on their journey, inspiring them to realise the power of choice to triumph over life’s hardships.

Her book, I Have Life – Alison’s Journey, became a bestseller with more than 95,000 copies sold in South Africa and several reprints reaching millions across the globe.

In 2016, Alison’s journey was turned into the award-winning documentary Alison by Uga Carlin.

Alison has also inspired Woman INpowered – an initiative that helps women protect themselves and won the Rotarian Paul Harris Award for “Courage Beyond the Norm” among many other global accolades.

ALSO READ: On Guard: It’s a choice

‘Very, very serious’

The man who came to her rescue when she was left for dead on the side of the road by her attackers as a young veterinary student, Dr Tiaan Eilard, has once again found himself at her hospital bed.

Over the years, the two have remained friends with Eilard telling Netwerk24 that Botha’s condition is “very, very serious” and that her rehabilitation is going to take a very long time due to her speech and movement being affected”.

Vicious rape attack on Alison Botha

Botha’s headline-grabbing gang rape on 18 December 1994, shocked South Africans to the core.

The then insurance broker was 27 years old when Frans du Toit and Theuns Kruger abducted her and left her for dead at Schoenmakerskop, a remote beach outside Gqeberha, after brutally raping and attacking her with a knife.

The two stabbed her more than 36 times in her abdomen and nearly decapitated her when they slit her throat 17 times.

The act of slashing her windpipe when they cut her throat actually gave Alison the chance to breathe better and is possibly why she survived.

Miraculously, Botha survived, and with one hand trying to prevent her intestines from spilling out of her body and the other hand to keep her head from falling backwards, she crawled naked on a dirt road to the tarmac to find help.

Before she dragged her body to the road, Alison knew she had to leave behind a clue for the police when they found her body.

She wrote the names of her rapists in the sand, as well as the words, I love mom.

‘Ripper rapists’ out on parole

Du Toit and Kruger were both out on bail for similar offences at the time of committing the heinous act.

According to accomplished author Marianne Thamm who ghostwrote I Have Life, the two men were buttering bread with the knife they had used to disembowel Alison when they were arrested soon afterwards.

They were also allegedly planning to abduct and murder another victim later that day when they were arrested.

The “Ripper Rapists” – as they were known in the media at the time – were sentenced to life imprisonment by the Port Elizabeth High Court in August 1995. 

Du Toit and Kruger were however released on parole in July 2023 after spending 28 years behind bars.

Alison Botha trust fund

Alison does not have the medical aid to cover the considerable cost of her hospital stay and brain surgery.

Following her discharge, she will also need round-the-clock care, dramatically changing her life.

As such, her legal team have stepped forward to assist her via a trust fund set up in her name, with South Africans and people from all over the world opening their hearts and wallets to support Alison in her time of need.

How to help

Tania Koen Attorneys
Nedbank Trust Account No 1302230492
International donations include SWIFT code NEDSZAJJ
Tania Koen:  tkatt@mweb.co.za

Angel Network campaign

The Angel Network, a nonprofit organisation that works to alleviate poverty and social injustice, has also launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy to support Alison.

The campaign aims to raise R200,000 to cover her medical expenses.

Visit the Alison Botha BackaBuddy page to make a donation.