Alison Botha tells lawyer she can 'breathe again' after attackers' parole revoked
Frans du Toit and Theuns Kruger had been released in July 2023 after serving time for the 1995 conviction in which each was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Alison Botha / Facebook: Alison Botha
Lester Kiewit interviews Tania Koen, Alison Botha’s lawyer.
Listen below:
In a surprising move, Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald has revoked the parole of two men – Frans du Toit and Theuns Kruger – who were convicted for the brutal 1994 attack on Alison Botha.
The men hijacked, raped, and violently stabbed Botha, leaving her for dead on the side of the road.
Du Toit and Kruger were released in July 2023, although each of them was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Koen reveals that Botha was not informed that the men had applied for parole.
"The procedure is that a parole board convenes and they are supposed to invite the victims to make representation. They failed to do that. They should've then informed Alison in any event that a parole hearing had taken place and what the recommendation is."
- Tania Koen, Alison Botha’s lawyer
Koen explains that when they launched an application to review proceedings, they were given access to Du Toit and Kruger's profiles.
According to psychologist assessments, Du Toit was diagnosed as a psychopath and narcissist, showing no genuine remorse, and was considered unlikely to be rehabilitated.
Experts deemed him a continued danger to society.
In light of this, she raises the question: Why were Du Toit and Kruger granted bail in the first place?
"The first word she [Alison] said to me was she was relieved and she could breathe again."
- Tania Koen, Alison Botha’s lawyer
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.