WHAT DOES FOUR YEARS OF DAMAGE LOOK LIKE?

Has the injustice of Natalee Holloway wrecked a permanent havoc on Aruba’s tourism, economy and reputation for the last four years?

Let’s see…

EXHIBIT A:

 

Google “Aruba Boycott” and get 1,400 hits.

Google, “Boycott and Natalee Holloway” and get 22,700 hits.

Google, “Boycott Aruba” and get 26,000 hits.

Do I need to try other search engines to make my point?

 

EXHIBIT B:

In 2008 alone:

The E! Network put out two “documentaries”.  One was “The Final Hours of Natalee Holloway”; and “20 Most Shocking Unsolved Crimes” in which Natalee’s case was listed as the #1 “most shocking” unsolved crime.

This was above Jimmy Hoffa. 

Above the Zodiac Killer. 

Above Jon Benet Ramsey. 

Amazing!

2008 also gave us A&E’s Bill Kurtis and the famous series “American Justice” that produced an hour special on Natalee’s case.  Using a different take, the show focused more on the ongoing recovery efforts to find Natalee’s body.

Haunting Evidence did an hour special using a psychic and some “ghost buster” toys in order to find out the truth of what Joran did with Natalee that last night.

…AND DON’T FORGET!  The Peter de Vries Special that changed EVERYTHING.

ABC’s 20/20 with Chris Cuomo did an hour long story on Natalee’s case up to date, including the aftermath of the “Peter de Vries Hidden Camera” scandal, and Joran’s “side job” of “alleged” sex trafficking of women between the borders of Thailand and the Netherlands…all conveniently caught on secret videotape.

A “Sex, Lies and Videotape” of the new millennium?  Could be…

Last, but never least…Greta van Susteren’s “career changing interview” with Joran after her multi-month man hunt across the globe to obtain interviews with witnesses and Joran himself who told Greta on camera that he did not kill Natalee, but sold her to an unknown man in Aruba for $10,000 after two brief exchanges in the casinos of Aruba.

Hours after the taped “confession”, Joran contacted Greta via email and recanted his entire story.

 

EXHIBIT C:

Only half way through 2009…

The Natalee Holloway Story was produced by the Lifetime Movie Network and was viewed by a record setting 3.2 million people when it aired in April of 2009.  It was the highest viewed movie in Lifetime’s 11-year history.

 

ENOUGH SAID

When in history has a “missing person-turned-corruption-case” garnered so much worldwide attention, especially after four years?

It is because of the people.  These are the "little people" with a HUGE voice that want to see justice.  They want to see the new developments or what Joran’s new lie will be.  They want to see punishment for those involved, and they want Natalee’s family to obtain closure.

The media feeds off what the public wants to see and hear.  Thanks to the media, Natalee’s case has never “gone cold”.  With every movie, documentary and book, Aruba’s massive wound continues to rip open with an increase of pain each time.

I know there are people out there who have no clue of Natalee Holloway.  However when I mention to someone that I write a blog about Natalee Holloway, and they say, “Who?”  The only words I need to use to jog their memories are “Aruba” and “missing”. 

Ah ha!  It works every time.

Each time just one person mentions her case to another person, those negative images and stories are stored either in one's immediate conscious or will lie in the subconscious. 

Perhaps that particular conversation knowingly or not, will be the cause of one less person visiting Aruba.

OH, and by the way, Carlos-n-Charlies in Aruba closed (due to the poor economy..yuk, yuk...)

DUTCH INVESTIGATION INTO ARUBAN GOVERNMENT, NAMELY PROSECUTION

By our correspondent Christel van Bebber

ORANJESTAD/ THE HAGUE — In her letter to the Lower Chamber today, the State secretary of the Kingdom Relations, Ank Bijleveld-Schouten (CDA) stated that there would be an investigation into the government of Aruba. 

In her letter, she gave a number of her own observations on the judicial process on the island and is of the opinion that a ‘combination of signals are so alarming that there is reason to investigate in order to get a complete picture of the status of the government

 of Aruba’. 

On the base of the results of that investigation, the State secretary will view if further measures must be taken and on which level this should take place.

During a debate in the Upper Chamber last week, Bijleveld said she worries about the status of the government on Aruba. In the letter she forwarded to the Lower Chamber today, she gives a few observations from which she concluded to open an investigation. 

For example, the Public Prosecutor cannot sufficiently focus on the prosecution of offences. This is the actual task of the Public Prosecutor, but this comes off badly due to amongst others, understaffing. The National Criminal Investigation Bureau appears so overloaded by corruption investigations, that other cases are shelved, says the State secretary.

The Public Prosecutor in Oranjestad should have six public prosecutors, and there are only four. “Not because there are insufficient qualified candidates, but on account of a salary discussion”, according to Bijleveld’s letter to the Chamber. 

Furthermore, the boss of the Public Prosecutor, the Attorney General, is losing so much time on troublesome files and solving discussing with the Netherlands, that he barely has time to prosecute. 

“This fact, in combination with the in comparison large amount of corruption reports in the politics and the bureaucracy, worries me”, Bijleveld writes. “”After all, the adequate functioning of the Public Prosecutor is one of the pillars of the constitutional state”.

Communal Court

Another pillar, which worries the State secretary, is the legal authority, which she meanwhile told the minister-president Oduber. Bijleveld reminds the Chamber, that Aruba barely cooperated with the realization of the Communal Court of Justice. Eventually Aruba agreed with the majority of the enactment, which resulted in the realization of the Communal Court.

There is also understaffing in the prison. Bijleveld points out that the situation in the police cells and the prison has improved after the visitation of the European Committee regarding the prevention of torturing, and inhuman and degrading treatments of punishments (CPT). 

The physical circumstances have been dealt with, but she also observed that there are still insufficient qualified personnel and that the treatment of prisons leaves much to be desired. Her main point of concern in this area however remains the aliens’ detention, where not one point of improvement has been implemented since the CPT-visit.

http://www.amigoe.com/artman/publish/artikel_57146.php

BETH HOLLOWAY DISCUSSES NATALEE AT UNSOLVED CRIMES EXHIBIT

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/05/john_walsh_left_and_beth.html

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY BETH HOLLOWAY

On this special day JUST for mothers, I and everyone who is a supporter of you, Natalee and justice want to say not only HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, but thank you for being such an inspiration to so many of us.

Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human 

being to do the impossible.  ~Marion C. Garretty

What should a perfect mother be?

An inspiration.

That is what a perfect mother should be.

A true mother will fight and die for their children.

Beth, you have fought for four years, yet have not died.

A true mother is a martyr.

Beth, you have been on a stake, crucified by many; 

yet you were strong and continued your mission bruised and bleeding.

This is what a perfect mother should be.

An inspiration.

A martyr.

Beth, you are all of that and more.  

Happy Mother's Day

NATALEE HOLLOWAY TO BE REMEMBERED AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CRIME & PUNISHMENT

I received some correspondence from Beth Holloway yesterday.  She had some great news!  I'll share it with you below:

(Email from Beth):  "Natalee's case is being put on display at the National Museum of Crime and Punishment....Her info. will be placed with 9 other unsolved cases!"

I don't have any other information as to when the exhibit will be on display because I don't see it mentioned at the National Museum of Crime & Punishment's website, but if anyone knows of any further information, please post it or send it to me!  

A great remembrance of Natalee for the month of May!

http://www.crimemuseum.org/

BOYCOTT ARUBA DECLARES MAY AS INTERNATIONAL CRIME VICTIMS MONTH

Boycott Aruba--Justice for Natalee Holloway has declared the month of May "International Crime Victims Month" in dedication to Natalee Holloway who has been missing since May, 2005.

FOUR YEARS

...Nearly 1460 days have passed since Natalee has been gone.  Natalee and her story will not be forgotten and the boycott of Aruba will continue until justice is served.

PATRICK VAN DER EEM BEATS WIFE WITH CROWBAR--RECEIVES 30 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE?

Looks like Patrick van der Eem used the old, "I was stoned" excuse after he pulled a "Chris Brown" on his wife.  What a great guy, huh?  Beat someone with a deadly object and you'll only get community service in the Netherlands.  

Tuesday 28 April 2009

Patrick van der Eem, who befriended Joran van der Sloot and then secretly recorded him confessing to being with Natalee Holloway when she died, has been given a 30 hour community service sentence for hitting his girlfriend with a crowbar.

Trouw reports that Van der Eem was found guilty of attacking the woman in Arnhem last December. He claimed to have been under the influence of drugs at the time.

Van der Eem has a known cocaine addiction and was said to have used drugs while making the recordings of Van de Sloot speaking about the American teenager's disappearance.

http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2009/04/van_de_sloot_mole_beats_wife_w.php