On December 18, 1994, twenty-seven-year-old Alison Botha was abducted from the parking lot of her apartment in Port Elizabeth by two men she didn’t know and had never seen. After forcing her into her car, her abductors drove her to a remote field, where she was sexually assaulted, stabbed dozens of times, nearly decapitated, and left for dead.

Miraculously, Alison didn’t die in that field, but instead managed to get to a nearby road, where she found help and was transported to the nearest hospital where she received life-saving treatment. Because she remembered everything about her attackers, Alison was able to describe the men and they were quickly arrested and confessed to the assault.

Since enduring her horrific attack, Alison Botha has become a symbol of endurance and for decades her story of survival has inspired and empowered young women across South Africa and around the world.

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Marianne, Thamm. 2018. I Have Life: Alison's Journey. Cape Town, South Africa: Penguin Random House South Africa.

Reddy, Tash. 2006. "Alison has life - and she truly cherishes it." Pretoria News, December 2.

—. 2006. "Miracle survivor Alison inspires." Weekend Argus (South Africa), December 3.

Sanpath, Arthi. 2010. "Will to survive triumphs incredible story of courage inspires all." Daily News (South Africa), August 23.

Thamm, Marianne. 2024. "Alison Botha health update — Reunited with family and fighting for recovery." Daily Maverick (South Africa), October 27.

The Mercury. 2023. "Rapist pair get paroled after serving 28 years." The Mercury (South Africa), July 6.

The Star. 2012. "Rape victim's parole shock." The Star (South Africa), January 19.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

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