Inside grim prison Joran van der Sloot lives now after avoiding Natalee Holloway conviction
More than 20 years on from her disappearance, the case of Natalee Holloway is back in the headlines once again following a new Netflix release.
Holloway, who mysteriously vanished from the same island as Amy Bradley, who also featured in another Netflix documentary last year, was declared legally dead in 2012 at her own father's request.
One of the last people to see the teenager alive was Joran van der Sloot, and while he features heavily in the new feature, which hit our screens earlier today (4 November), the Dutchman has never officially been charged in connection with Hollway's death.
This is even more surprising when you learn that in 2023, he actually confessed to her murder, before returning to Peru, where he is currently serving a sentence in one of South America's most notorious prisons - the Challapalca prison.
Van der Sloot is being held in a horrific prison 4,800 above sea level that is near impossible to escape
Although he did return to the US when he was extradited in connection with Hollway's death, these were on extortion and wire-fraud charges linked to the case, and it was then that he confessed to have killed her using blunt force trauma.
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He then returned to Peru, as he had already been convicted of the 2010 murder of Peruvian woman Stephany Flores Ramírez. This led him to be held in one of the world’s most notorious prisons, famed for its inhumane treatment of the prisoners.
While you might have heard of the notorious prison in El Salvador when Donald Trump has sent thousands of people living in the US who he deemed to be 'illegal aliens', the Challapalca prison has been subject to an appeal since 2005 which states that prisoners are subject to 'cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment'.
But any prisoners who are desperate to find a way out of their situation by whatever means necessary have very little chance of doing so, although 17 inmates did manage an uprising back in 2012, which led to the entire staff being replaced despite all 17 inmates being quickly recaptured, apart from one who died from hypothermia in the extremely cold conditions outside the prison's walls.
Van der Sloot has requested a transfer after being attacked in prison as ‘multiple inmates want him dead’
In April 2024, van der Sloot was injured in a prison brawl at the prison.
According to a New York Post report at the time, van der Sloot was attacked by two of his fellow inmates who were then joined by others before prison guards stepped in and broke up the melee.
He reportedly sustained several bruises and lacerations in the incident and was taken to see medical staff before being released back into the prison’s general population.
A Peru National Penitentiary Institute (NPI) spokesperson told that outlet that high-profile inmates, such as van der Sloot, are seen as vulnerable while in prison.
“A lot of people want him dead,” they added.
Emil Quinones, who served time with van der Sloot in an Alabama prison after he was extradited to the US, said the Dutch national was ‘arrogant’ and ‘cocky’.
“He walks around jail like he’s the boss. Demands what he wants, treats other guys like s**t. He made a lot of enemies because he’s such an a**hole.”
Quinones also said that he wouldn’t be surprised if van der Sloot never got out of prison.
“All he really knows is prison and I think he likes it. He’ll either reoffend to stay in jail, or he’ll be killed by someone,” he added.
Van der Sloot’s lawyer Maximo Altez has previously said that his client ‘hates’ Challapalca prison and has asked to be moved to another prison.
In a 2023 NewsNation report, his lawyer Altez said: “Van der Sloot is imprisoned in the worst prison in the world. Any prison in the United States is a five-star hotel.”
Michael Whisonant, a former prosecutor involved in van der Sloot's 2010 indictment, told the NewsNation: “I am very pleased to see that he will probably serve 20-years in the worst prison in the world.”
Host Dan Abrams pointed out that as van der Sloot had already served around a decade at this point, it was ‘likely he’s going to be out as a relatively young man’.
However, Whisonant disagreed, telling the host: “Well, I’m not sure I would say young. If you’re looking at the conditions he’s going to be living in for the next 20 years, I think that’ll age him somewhat.”
He also noted that even if van der Sloot is released early, he’ll be headed to the US to serve time in a federal penitentiary.
Van der Sloot’s case - and chilling confession for the death of Natalee - has received renewed attention following the release of the new three-part Netflix docu-series Taken: Natalee Holloway.
Taken: Natalee Holloway is available to stream on Netflix now.
Topics: Crime, Netflix, TV and Film
James Moorhouse
