In the aftermath of a rape incident, most victims experience long-term physical and psychological impacts.
Physical injuries to the body, including to the genital area, may occur during rape and can be fatal, hindering the victim’s ability to seek immediate medical attention.
Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are not uncommon.
Every rape victim should get help from family, friends, social workers, doctors, police, and the governments in general to once again rebuild their self-esteem.
It is a monumental task for any rape victim to do, yet it could be the only way to make sure that they are ready to face the world again in confidence and speak up against the attacker.
If there is anyone to be the embodiment of a woman’s survival story from sexual and physical assaults, it would be Alison Botha from Port Elizabeth, South Africa, who in December 1994 was kidnapped by two men outside his house, raped, repeatedly stabbed, then left to die in a deserted area.
Despite her body being torn apart, her extraordinary courage was unbroken. She survived the ordeal, and with exceptional courage, she has now overcome an unthinkable physical and emotional trauma.
10 /10 Ordinary Woman
Alison Botha was born on September 22, 1967, in Port Elizabeth, a major seaport city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
She grew up there with her father Brian, mother Claire, and brother Neale. After her parents divorced when Alison was 10, the father left the family home.
In 1985, she became the head girl at The Collegiate High School for Girls and Port Elizabeth.
She then moved to a relatively quiet complex in the city and worked as an insurance broker. At the time of the attack, she was 27 years old.
9 /10 The Kidnapping
On an otherwise typical pleasant night in December 1994, Allison was having fun at home with her friends, playing games, and having pizza. Everyone left around midnight, except Kim, because Alison had promised to drive her home.
When Alison returned from Kim’s home, she found that the parking lot was more crowded than usual, so she had to take one a little bit further than expected.
Before she even got out of the car, a man came out of nowhere, threatening to kill her with a knife unless she let him in.