How to watch the Alison Botha documentary — is it streaming?

The Alison Botha case is at once disturbing and inspiring, with the 2016 documentary Alison telling the true story of what happened — to learn more, here’s how to watch it on streaming. 

While plenty of new true crime comes to streaming each month, TikTok is changing the way we consume media, with older titles going viral at the drop of a hat. 

It’s what led to creepy horror short films like Special Day and Backstroke finding new audiences years after their release, or why so many true crime fans were searching for “the man with many wives documentary” on Netflix (when it’s actually on YouTube). 

Now, the 1994 Alison Botha case has become the focus of a TikTok video, amassing more than 8.5 million views and sparking renewed interest in the documentary. So, here’s how to watch it and what happened. Warning: Some may find this content distressing. 

How to watch the Alison Botha documentary on streaming

The 2016 documentary about Alison Botha, titled Alison, is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. 

Written and produced by Uga Carlini and based on Marianne Thamm’s book I Have Life, the film not only details what happened to Botha, but also tells her story with animation and reenactments, while examining her drive and refusal to be seen as a victim. Alison currently has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 94%.

The true story of Alison Botha 

In 1994, then-27-year-old Alison Botha – a South African woman – was abducted by Frans du Toit and Theuns Kruger. After taking her to the outskirts of Port Elizabeth, they raped, stabbed, disemboweled, and attempted to decapitate Alison, leaving her for dead. Amazingly, she survived the attack. 

Not only was she able to identify Toit and Kruger, who were swiftly sentenced to life in prison, but Alison has continued to share her story over the years to help others to deal with their own trauma and provide insights into what can be learned from such a horrific ordeal. 

The incident unfolded on December 18, 1994, an otherwise normal day for Alison. But while driving back to her apartment, a man came up to her with a knife and forced her to move to the passenger’s seat, telling her he needed to use her car. He picked up his friend, and they took Alison to a deserted area. 

After brutally raping her, they stabbed Alison countless times in the abdomen. Growing frustrated that she hadn’t died, they cut her throat so severely that they nearly decapitated her. When the men drove away, Alison was still alive and breathing. Many years later, she said, “I realised my life was too valuable to let go of.”

Despite her injuries, Alison was able to write the names of the attackers in the sand beside her. She managed to get up, but her throat was so badly cut that her head fell back, while her intestines were protruding from her stomach. 

Using what strength she had left to hold her head and insides in place, she stumbled to the road. A veterinary student named Tiaan Eilerd found her lying on the ground, using his medical experience to put her thyroid back into her body before calling an ambulance. As they waited, he held her hand. 

When Alison arrived at the hospital, the doctors were shocked by her injuries, with Alexander Angelov saying he’s never seen anything like it. In spite of everything that had happened to her, Alison survived the surgery. Not only that, but she remembered everything about her attackers, and was able to identify them as Toit and Kruger from police photos. 

In 1995, they were sentenced to life in prison by Judge Chris Jansen, who described the two men as “inherent evil,” and added (via News24): “If the death sentence was still an appropriate sentence, I would probably have imposed the death sentence because of the seriousness of the crime.”

He went on to praise Alison, stating, “It is an absolute miracle that Alison survived this, this was a very brave woman with a strong personality too. I remember she was a very good witness in court.”

Jansen recommended against granting Toit and Kruger parole. However, in 2023, they were released on parole after serving 28 years in prison, a move that was condemned by the judge, Tiaan, Alison, and the wider public. A change.org petition was launched calling on a review of the decision, earning more than 14,000 of its 15,000 signature goal.

Alison continues to inspire others with her story of survival. As well as raising two children, she’s an advocate on victims’ rights and social change, giving talks that aim to raise awareness about issues such as violence against women. 

Upon the release of the 2016 documentary Alison, she said, “I have always hoped that by sharing my own journey with others, it would give them hope and courage for their own. To have my story and ultimate triumph shared on screen would mean that so many more people would see the power of choice that we each have; and might also choose to triumph over life’s hardships.”

For more, check out all of the documentaries coming to streaming this month.