Trust account set up to help rape survivor Alison Botha, after she suffers brain aneurysm

The name Alison Botha became synonomous with courage after she survived a horrific attack in 1994 when she was raped by two men before they slit her throat and disembowelled her.

She miraculously survived the ordeal after she was found where she'd crawled to the side of a road in Gqeberha after being dumped in the bushes.

Now Botha is under medical treatment after suffering a brain aneurysm two weeks ago. She does not have medical aid.

A trust account has been established in her name to cover her ongoing medical expenses, which are expected to be considerable.

John Maytham talks to Botha's friend Hanneli Bakker, who was one of the prosecutors in the trial of Frans du Toit and Theuns Kruger.

The men were released on parole in July 2023, after having served 28 years of their sentence, which was life in prison.

Bakker says Botha collapsed at home a few days after her 57th birthday and was rushed to George Hospital in the Western Cape, where she was diagnosed with cerebral bleeding, before being transported per ambulance to Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town.

"On the Sunday she was admitted to the intensive care unit, and then on the Monday they had to perform a procedure to control the bleeding of the brain."

"At the moment she's receiving great care at Groote Schuur... but she's going to need ongoing physical therapy tailored to her specific needs. Speech therapy, occupational therapy.... we can only imagine right now, so we decided that for such a long road ahead, we need to partner."

Hanneli Bakker

Bakker says it has been a terribly difficult year for Botha, who apparently was not formally given the opportunity to object to du Toit and Kruger's parole.

 A formal application for review has subsequently been launched in the Johannesburg division of the High Court, Bakker says.

"You must remember that some of those injuries she suffered years ago are impacting her with the passing of time... and especially the psychological impact when those offenders were released, it was too much for her."

Hanneli Bakker

TRUST ACCOUNT DETAILS: 

Nedbank Account No 1302230492

For international donations, include SWIFT code NEDSZAJJ.

Scroll up to listen to the interview with Bakker