Oran van der Sloot, the Dutchman linked to the 2005 disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway in Aruba, is set to be temporarily extradited to the United States to face charges of extortion and wire fraud. Peruvian authorities announced this development on Wednesday. Van der Sloot is currently serving a 28-year sentence in Peru for the murder of 21-year-old college student Stephany Flores in 2010.
Holloway vanished in May 2005 during a senior class trip in Aruba, which is van der Sloot’s home country. She was last seen leaving a bar with van der Sloot, who was detained and questioned by authorities at the time but never charged. The United States accuses van der Sloot of attempting to extort Holloway’s family by promising to provide information about her whereabouts and leading them to her body, which has never been found.
In 2012, an Alabama judge declared Holloway dead, more than six years after her disappearance. It was on the day before this declaration that van der Sloot pleaded guilty to the murder of Stephany Flores.
The Peruvian attorney general’s office released a statement to CBS News, indicating that van der Sloot will be temporarily handed over to the United States for prosecution and will subsequently return to Peru “immediately following the proceedings.”
Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Peru’s ambassador to the United States, expressed hopes that this action would contribute to a process that brings peace to Mrs. Holloway and her family, who continue to grieve just as the Flores family in Peru mourns the loss of their daughter, Stephany.
The US State Department declined to comment on extradition matters, referring questions to the Justice Department. However, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice declined to comment on the situation.
The extradition of Oran van der Sloot represents a significant development in the long-standing case of Natalee Holloway’s disappearance. While her family has endured years of uncertainty and anguish, the possibility of bringing van der Sloot to the US to face charges may provide some closure and a chance for justice to be served. As the legal proceedings unfold, the world will be watching to see how this chapter in the Holloway case concludes and whether it brings any resolution to the painful ordeal endured by the Holloway and Flores families.