An update on where Joran van der Sloot is in 2026, and his ‘cruel and degrading’ life in prison

Netflix has just released Taken: Natalee Holloway, which focusses around her disappearance, and the involvement of Joran van der Sloot. Despite his confession, van der Sloot has never been prosecuted for her murder. 

18-year-old student Natalee Holloway travelled to Aruba with 124 other students as part of a graduation trip, in May 2005. She vanished on the final day of the trip. 

The last time she ever seen, Natalee was driving off in a grey Honda with a group of local young men, including a then 17-year-old Joran van der Sloot. His story of her disappearance has changed over the years. He was arrested a couple of times in relation to her disappearance, but was released. 

Then, in 2010, 21-year-old business student Stephany Flores Ramírez was found dead in a hotel room registered to van der Sloot. In 2012 he pleaded guilty to Ramírez’s death, and was sentenced to 28 years in prison. Natalee was also declared legally dead that year.

Joran van der Sloot has since admitted to killing Natalee. He is yet to be tried for murder in Aruba, and cannot be tried in Natalee’s home country of the United States. Despite the confession, Natalee’s remains have not been found.

via Netflix

Joran van der Sloot is currently serving his sentence in an infamous prison 

Joran van der Sloot was sentenced to 28 years in prison, so he is still serving his sentence. He was sentenced to 28 years in prison and in 2023, according to reports, was sentenced to another 18 years for smuggling cocaine.

He is currently housed at Challapalca prison, a notorious maximum-security facility in Peru that has been described as “cruel, inhuman and degrading”. There have been calls to close the prison down, because of the conditions there. 

It doesn’t sound as though he’s having a good time there at all. He has complained of getting death threats from other inmates, and there was also reported to have a been a further incident where he was attacked by two prisoners. He is said to have sustained several bruises and lacerations. In December 2025, prison guards found him seriously injured in his cell after an apparent suicide attempt. 

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In August of 2026, van der Sloot requested he be moved to another prison. He claimed he was subjected to “psychological torture almost daily.” It doesn’t seem as though there has been a response to his request yet. 

Emil Quiñones, who served time with van der Sloot told NY Post he is “arrogant, cocky, just a total douchebag.” He added: “He walks around jail like he’s the boss. Demands what he wants, treats other guys like sh*t. He made a lot of enemies because he’s such an a hole.”

Joran is sentenced for release in 2045, due to a Peruvian law prohibiting prison sentences from exceeding 35 years if the prisoner has not been sentenced to life. If he does get out early, it wont be over for him. Van der Sloot would be returned to the US to serve the balance of a 20-year sentence for extorting Natalee Holloway’s family.

via Netflix

Natalee Holloway’s mum isn’t done in her quest for justice 

It’s not over anyway, but Natalee Holloway’s mum is making sure it stays that way. According to local reports, in 2026, Beth Holloway filed a complaint in the Netherlands against Joran van der Sloot for his involvement in the death of her daughter. 

She is hoping that the Dutch Public Prosecution Service will proceed with his prosecution. In 2023, Van der Sloot admitted to extorting the family and killing Natalee. In exchange for this confession, he received a reduced sentence and was allowed to serve his sentence concurrently with that for an earlier conviction in Peru.

However, Beth Holloway wants the investigation into her daughter’s murder to be continued, and for the confession to be revisited. 

Taken: Natalee Holloway is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.