Alison Botha, the woman who survived dozens of stab wounds

The crime against 27-year-old Alison Botha occurred on November 18, 1994, in the city of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The girl and a group of friends were spending the late afternoon at the beach, since the city is on a bay.

After returning from the beach, the friends ended the meeting with ice cream at Alison’s house. From there, everyone went their separate ways. While some went away, Alison’s friend stayed with her, with the promise that Alison would take her home at night.

Late at night, between 10 pm and midnight, Alison and her friend leave for her house, everything goes well and she leaves her friend safely. On the way home, Alison realizes that the parking space where she used to leave her car is already taken, and she has to drive around the block a few times until she manages to park in a space further away.

About to live the worst day of her life

Alison parked the car, got out, opened the rear door of the vehicle to get some belongings and clothes. She quickly realized that the front passenger door had been opened and a man had entered the car, armed with a knife, and told her not to move.

Alison still managed to act calmly at this point, she followed the criminal’s instructions and climbed into the driver’s seat and he took over the driving. While driving, the man introduced himself as Clinton — later identified as Frans du Toit — and in an attempt to reassure her, he said he had no intention of killing her and only needed her car.

Alison even suggested that the man take her car and all the money she had with him and leave her on the road, but he refused and continued driving until he came upon a man standing on a sidewalk. This was Thenus, who boarded the back seat of the vehicle.

When they arrived in a rural area, Clinton stopped the car and the two men ordered Alison to get out, at that moment they raped her. When they were satisfied, one of the men proceeded to hang Alison while she begged for her life.

Cruelly raped, Alison resists

While unconscious, the victim was stabbed 35 times in the abdomen, she appeared dead. As they walked away from the body, Thenus noticed that Alison’s knee was still moving and stabbed her again, this time stabbing her neck another 17 times so that her head was almost severed from her body. The men ran away and she was left there practically dead.

In some miraculous way, Alison Botha was still alive and conscious despite her shredded body and the large amount of blood she had lost. She started to crawl to the road, when she realized that some of her abdominal organs were sticking out and she had to cover them with her blouse in a sort of bag to keep them close to her belly.

None of the stab wounds hit vital body parts, and the adrenaline rush prevented Alison from feeling pain and realizing how badly she was hurt. Alison’s airway was torn, and what made it easier for her to breathe was one of the holes in her neck that brought air into her lungs.

When Alison reached the road, he had to lie down on the asphalt and hope that someone would help her. The first vehicle, seeing Alison’s condition, decided not to stop. Soon after, a second vehicle stopped and the person who saw Alison’s condition began to vomit. The emergency service was finally called, but only arrived after one hour.

Upon arrival at the hospital, Alison bravely resisted, exceeding all expectations for her traumatic condition. Several surgeries had to be performed, and her neck had to be sewn shut. When she was discharged, her body was in perfect working order, but the lacerations in her uterus made the doctors conclude that she would never be able to become pregnant.

Criminals caught and a life ahead

Theuns Kruger and Frans du Toit, the two criminals involved, were captured and pleaded guilty to eight charges, which included kidnapping, rape, and attempted murder. In August 1995, they were sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

After her recovery, Alison decided she needed to tell her story to the world, mainly because it would help her overcome her emotional traumas. She traveled to more than 35 countries, taking the issue of sexual violence to regions where it is still a social taboo.

Since then, the young woman has written two books. In 2016, her story of survival came to life in the movie “Alison”. And today, she is still considered one of the world’s most inspiring motivational speakers.

Today, Alison Botha is the biological mother of two children, overcoming yet another obstacle, since according to doctors it was impossible for her to become pregnant.