‘Do You Think She’s Dead?’: Inside The Incredible Survival Story Of Alison Botha

‘Do You Think She’s Dead?’: Inside The Incredible Survival Story Of Alison Botha

On December 18, 1994, Alison Botha was abducted near her home in South Africa. By the end of the night, she had been raped, stabbed, and disemboweled — but she was still alive. After an ordinary night out with her friends, Alison Botha drove back to her apartment in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. But as soon as the 27-year-old parked her car, a man with a knife forced his way inside. The attacker ordered Botha to move to a different seat, trapping her inside her own vehicle. He then drove her car to pick up an accomplice. And it was immediately clear that the two men had sinister plans for her.

du Toit and Theuns Kruger — took her to a deserted area on the outskirts of town. There, they brutally raped her, disemboweled her, and slashed her throat so deeply that she was nearly decapitated. Finally, they left her for dead in a clearing. But Botha was still breathing. “I realized my life was too valuable to let go of,” she later said. “And that gave me the courage to survive.”...... Read story Alison Botha was born on September 22, 1967, in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Her parents divorced when she was 10 years old, and Botha spent most of her childhood living with her mother and brother. In her early years, Botha led a fairly normal life. She served as head girl at The Collegiate High School for Girls in Port Elizabeth.

When she finished her education, she spent a few years traveling. And after she returned home, Botha found a job as an insurance broker, which she enjoyed. On December 18, 1994, Alison Botha was abducted near her home in South Africa. By the end of the night, she had been raped, stabbed, and disemboweled — but she was still alive. After an ordinary night out with her friends, Alison Botha drove back to her apartment in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. But as soon as the 27-year-old parked her car, a man with a knife forced his way inside. The attacker ordered Botha to move to a different seat, trapping her inside her own vehicle. He then drove her car to pick up an accomplice. And it was immediately clear that the two men had sinister plans for her.

When Alison Botha was attacked in 1994, she was stabbed 30 times and nearly decapitated. Botha’s captors — later identified as Frans du Toit and Theuns Kruger — took her to a deserted area on the outskirts of town. There, they brutally raped her, disemboweled her, and slashed her throat so deeply that she was nearly decapitated. Finally, they left her for dead in a clearing. But Botha was still breathing. “I realized my life was too valuable to let go of,” she later said. “And that gave me the courage to survive.” This is the story of Alison Botha — and her incredible will to live. The Abduction Of Alison Botha Alison Botha Portrait Alison Botha was just 27 years old when she was abducted, brutalized, and left for dead.

Alison Botha was born on September 22, 1967, in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Her parents divorced when she was 10 years old, and Botha spent most of her childhood living with her mother and brother. In her early years, Botha led a fairly normal life. She served as head girl at The Collegiate High School for Girls in Port Elizabeth. When she finished her education, she spent a few years traveling. And after she returned home, Botha found a job as an insurance broker, which she enjoyed. The night of her attack seemed like an ordinary night — at least at first. After spending some time at the beach with her friends, Botha brought them back to her apartment for pizza and games. When most of the group left, Botha drove her last friend home. Then, Botha headed back to her apartment. But she wouldn’t make it inside. After Botha parked her car, she reached toward the passenger seat to grab her bag of clean laundry to take inside. But she suddenly felt a gust of warm air. A man with a knife had opened the driver’s door. 

 Terrified, Botha did as she was told. The man took control of the car and soon sped away. “I don’t want to hurt you,” said the man, who identified himself as Clinton. “I just want to use your car for an hour.” Clinton — whose real name was Frans du Toit — then traveled to another part of Port Elizabeth to pick up his friend Theuns Kruger. The men then took Alison Botha to a secluded area just outside the city. Frozen, Botha knew something horrible was about to happen to her. “Move over, or I’ll kill you,” he said. How Alison Botha Survived The “Ripper Rapists” Frans du Toit and Theuns Kruger told Alison Botha that they were going to have sex with her. They asked her if she would fight them. Clearly trapped and terrified for her life, Botha said no. The two men, who had a history of violence against women, both raped her. And they were soon determined to kill her as well. At first, they tried to suffocate her. But even though she lost consciousness, Botha clung to life. Frustrated, du Toit and Kruger took their brutality to the next level. They stabbed Botha at least 30 times in the abdomen. Botha later recalled that du Toit specifically wanted to mutilate her reproductive organs. But somehow, the attackers missed those specific parts of her body. When Botha’s leg twitched, du Toit and Kruger decided the job wasn’t quite done yet. They then slit her throat — 16 times. “All I could see was an arm moving above my face,” Alison Botha later recalled. “Left and right and left and right. His movements were making a sound. A wet sound, it was the sound of my flesh being slashed open. He was cutting my throat with the knife. Again and again and again.” Botha’s mind struggled to make sense of what was happening to her. “It felt unreal but it wasn’t,” she said. “I felt no pain, but it was not a dream. 

This was happening. The man was slashing my throat.” As the men finally stepped back, Botha heard them admiring their work and speaking in Afrikaans. “Do you think she’s dead?” one of the attackers asked. “No one can survive that,” the other replied. Apparently satisfied that they had killed her, du Toit and Kruger drove away. But little did they know that Botha was still breathing. Lying alone atop sand and broken glass, Botha knew “I had to at least leave a clue about who did this to me.” She decided to write the names of her attackers in the dirt. Then, beneath that, she wrote, “I love Mom.” But soon, Botha realized she might have a chance to survive. In the distance, she could see headlights streaking through the bushes. If she could just manage to get onto the road, someone might be able to help her. This is the story of Alison Botha — and her incredible will to live.