I have been browsing the Peruvian press for breaking news about Joran van der Sloot and, as I have posted here and here, found some interesting bits and pieces.
Then, realizing the nationality of van der Sloot, I decided to check the Dutch press and I believe that I hit the mother lode with “Radio Nederland Wereld Omroep (Radio Netherlands Worldwide), or RNW.
Radio Netherlands Worldwide, located in Hilversum, the Netherlands, provides news, background and cultural information to millions of people throughout the world via radio, television and the internet and does such in 10 languages, including Dutch, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, Papiamentu, Chinese, Arabic, French and Sarnami—thus one has plenty of choices—and is one of the top five international broadcasters alongside the BBC, Voice of America, Radio France Internationale and Deutsche Welle.
Of course, at RNW the big news is the Stephany Flores tragedy and the fate of Dutchman Joran van der Sloot.
For example, when I last checked, there were the following news stories:
In Spanish: “Dutchman’s confession brings back into the scene the case of the American [Natalee Holloway].
Here we read again about van der Sloot’s rage and alleged murder of Stephany Flores when he returned from buying two coffees and bread from a nearby store.
We also learn that van der Sloot will be transferred to the maximum security prison “Castro Castro” in the East of Lima and that his trial could last between 12 and 18 months, according to lawyer Luis Lamas Puccio—apparently “fast” for Peru. According to the same lawyer, the sentence could be between 15 and 35 years in Perú.
In an English article the news is:
For Peru, Joran van der Sloot is principally a matter of prestige. His rights and privacy are secondary to the country’s desire to show off to the world with its handling of the Stephany Flores murder case.
And,
The confession comes as a surprise, as up to now Joran van der Sloot has refused to say anything about his involvement. According to Radio Netherlands Worldwide correspondent Carlos Cornejo in Lima, the Peruvian police may not have tortured Joran van der Sloot, but they will certainly have put him under intense pressure. ‘Tough methods may have been used which wouldn’t be acceptable in Europe,’ he says.
For the Peruvian police, the confession is a triumph. From the start, for Peru – and also for Chile, where Joran van der Sloot was arrested – this has been more than just another murder case. The international media attention and the involvement of a wealthy foreigner give it a special status. Judging by the energy with which the case is being pursued and police openness in releasing footage of the suspect, the two countries seem out to impress.
Finally,
According to legal experts, Peru will do all it can to show it is capable of dealing with the ‘murderer’ quickly and efficiently. And the country wants to demonstrate that it’s harder to get away with a crime in Peru than it is in a place like Aruba, which released Joran van der Sloot for lack of evidence in the Holloway case
And in Dutch, by Peruvian Anna Rosales, “In the Netherlands, people ask me what I, as a Peruvian, think about what has happened in my country.”
Rosales tells how happy she is with the press freedom in Peru and how Peruvians have ample access to any and all news about the case.
She also says that this event, gruesome as it is, is a new subject of discussion, a questionable subject of amusement, and “especially a welcome distraction from more important things.” (Author’s Note: I believe Rosales is referring to international reaction). She also speaks of how concerned Peruvians are that something like this could have happened…
She concludes with the hope that this case will soon be brought to an end; that the guilty will be condemned and that the victims will receive redress; that the rest of the world will soon see that Peruvians really know what is important and that Peruvians will be able to see the rest of the world in a different, constructive way.
While I am not sure that every report is published in all 10 languages, please visit RNW here and take a tour. I am sure you’ll find a language and a story that interests you.
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.