When Alison Botha heard that her two attackers, Frans du Toit and Theuns Kruger, are back in prison, she said she was “relieved” and “could breathe again.”
The office of correctional services minister Pieter Groenewald announced on Tuesday that he had cancelled parole for the two men, who were released in July 2023 after serving 28 years in jail.
"This decision follows thorough evaluation and consultation of legal opinions. This decision was made in accordance with the Correctional Services Act, which empowers the minister to cancel parole for individuals sentenced to life imprisonment," the statement read.
"The minister's primary consideration is the imperative of protecting and securing the community, particularly in instances where acts of violence against women and children have been committed.
"Both individuals have been reincarcerated and will remain in custody."
Lawyer Tania Koen, who has been acting as a spokesperson for her friend throughout the ordeal she felt since the duo were granted parole, told TimesLIVE Premium that they only heard the news on Tuesday.
The hair on my arms stood up when I heard the news.
— Lawyer Tania Koen
“I wish you could have seen how the hair on my arms stood up when I heard the news. It was an incredible feeling that still hasn’t gone away,” Koen said of her own reaction.
She broke the news to Botha.
“She was so relieved and just said, ‘I can breathe again.’
“We are all so thankful to minister Pieter Groenewald for the incredible thing he did.”
Koen, who has long advocated for more weight to be given to victims' rights in the parole system, believes this decision was a step in the right direction.
“The previous minister opposed our request that their parole be pulled back in, but it was minister Groenewald who did not leave any stone unturned. He ordered his legal team to find out what exactly could be done within the framework of the law, and this parole cancellation is 100% within his mandate and power.”
This decision, according to Koen, shows what the minister sees as his mandate.
This victory is for every woman and every child who has suffered from violence.
— Lawyer Tania Koen
“With this decision the minister showed us that the community and our safety is his priority. Victory is such a wonderful word. This victory is for every woman and every child who has suffered under gender-based violence.”
Botha expressed her thanks for the work her legal team put into opposing the two men’s parole release.
“She registered but was never personally part of the process. Alison asked that I thank minister Groenewald as well as her own legal team consisting of advocate Theart Hofmeyr, advocate Hannelie Bekker and I,” Koen said.
Du Toit and Kruger kidnapped, raped and viciously assaulted Botha in Gqeberha in 1994, before leaving her for dead. Her book, I Have Life, has been translated into seven languages and has remained on Penguin's bestseller list since it was first published in 1998. It was re-released in 2016 with an updated chapter to coincide with the release of a full-length film.
When her attackers were released from jail, Botha became increasingly afraid and reclusive, her friends said. She suffered a brain aneurysm in September, for which she required surgery. She is undergoing extensive rehabilitation and hopes to make a full recovery.
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