State Department Trafficking In Persons Report

Aruba and the the Dutch Caribbean gets a mention in this June, 2005 State Department Report. It's in pdf here.

Anecdotal reporting suggests that the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, autonomous regions within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, are transit and destination regions for trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation. Curacao and Saint Maarten, in particular, reportedly are destination islands for women trafficked for the sex trade from Columbia, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. In Curacao (and neighboring Aruba) observers estimate that 500 foreign women are in prostitution, some of whom may have been trafficked.

There are also reports of children being trafficked for sexual exploitation as under-age prostitutes, particularly from the Dominican Republic. In September 2004, Curacao prosecuted and sentenced two traffickers who trafficked children from Suriname to Curacao using fraudulent docu-ments. Visas for Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles are issued by Dutch Embassies following review by Aruban or Netherlands Antilles’ authorities. Visa controls were reportedly tightened in 2004. Also in 2004, the Dutch government provided 100,000 Euros to an IOM program focused on awareness raising, information dissemination and regional cooperation targeting officials from the Dutch Caribbean.

Update: The April 2005 issue of the State Department's internal magazine highlighted the diplomatic mission to the area. See page 13 of this pdf file.

Comments

[Isanah]

Oh, my! Not a pretty thought at all...somethings may very well be worse than death. The not knowing for one!

[RJ]

Do you think BHT would have let Natalee go there if she had known these things? My daughter was offered a trip to Belize last year when she was 13. My family is in the oil bus. and I was told by several family members that a blonde haired blue eyed beauty could get a lot of money in that part of the world. Need less to say she did not attend the trip.

[salada]

Where are the Kalpoe brothers from? Suriname?

[pamy]

salada--yes, from surinam. does anyone know if curacao, etc. have been searched for nat? how can they find her if she was sold into this trade? it makes so much sense because she disappeared without any trace. except the boys do say something bad happened and they buried her. but they might say that to get attention off the fact they know about or took part in nat being taken for slave trade.

[kescah]

It seems to me that if someone came knocking on the door or raiding the place where a high profile missing person was being kept, the searchers would find a body, not a living person.

[The RealPackerFan]

The places where most of these women are trafficked from would, I assume, mean they are mostly dark haired, dark skinned women. I would think even if a blonde would fetch a big price in that part of the world that (1) she would very much stand out and be noticed; and (2) that you would be hearing regularly about blonde citizens from various countries disappearing more often than we have in Aruba and these other countries. While this article shows a heinous trade of women and children that should be addressed, I fail to see how it would involve Natalee's disappearance and if it did, I agree with kescah, they would find a body, not Natalee, because she is too high profile for anyone to keep or risk being seen.

[susie]

Let us not foget that NH is not the first person to "vanish into the thin air" of the island paradise known as Aruba. We, as Americans, have aperently been very spoiled in that, when a crime is committed in our country, the justice system drives a 45 up your butt and the case is usually solved in record time. That is where we have gone off track with all of this, I fear. They are not dealing with seasoned hitmen or henchmen for the mofia. These are punks that one of our court recorders could have gotten the truth out of by now. The big secret is, you gotta let the criminal know he/she is no longer in charge of the situation. But when the chief of police makes the statement on the very first night that contains the comment "how can I arrestt this man's son"?, Im pretty sure nobody has to really ask why this case has turned out the way it has. Joran, at the time, was 17 years old yet, in a country where it is illegal for every other 17 year old, Daddy Sloot is with him in a cosino, gambling like its nobody's buisness. The Arubans can say what they want but, let it also be said that favoritism and corruption is alive and well in Aruba. Mommy Sloot wants us to believe that Joran has wings and a halo??? It must be tough work, having to polish his little halo, after all the long nights of gambling, drinking and raping. My hats off to Mommy Sloot! How sad is it that the Arubans have four obvious pieces to this puzzle and still cant make them fit??

[Season]

www.libertadlatina.org

The sex trade is a BIG problem and something needs to be done. Dont not go onto that link if you are easily upset!

[RealPotential]

Susie ~

You just reminded me of something.

I think you hit the nail on the head.

Polis Chief Van der Stratten is Paulus Van der Sloot's best friend, AND Joran's "GodFather". I believe they are Catholic? Anyway, YES... He DID SAY "How can I DO THIS to my best friends son???"

Now.... I have heard that before. But in the context of the above conversation, I saw the statement in a new light.

What Police Chief, true to his calling and dutiful to his position would not have arrested Joran immediately upon verifying he was the last one to see Natalee, IRRIGUARDLESS of what his relationship was to the boy???

Not One. So, Van der Stratten was NOT dutiful to his position....and it was INTENTIONAL.......BY HIS OWN ADMISSION. He gave his excuse, and did not arrest Joran initially as he should have.

And, as a Police Chief, and not taking action when he should have, HE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THAT MEANT to any prosecutions case.

I no longer question wether there ever was a cover up.

Now I KNOW.

[kescah]

And with so many lawyers for Joran, you have to wonder what all is being covered up!

[Justice for Natalee]

"To all Aruban’s:

American wants to encourage you to do all you can to help find Natalee Holloway by stopping the cover up of her kidnapping, gang rape, murder and disposal by Juran Van Der Sloot the Kalpoe brothers and Steve Croe’s.

It’s time you stopped pretending that Paul Van Der Sloot with the help of Jan Ver Der Stratten ( corrupt Police Commissioner) Ben Vocking alias, Ben King ( corrupt prosecutor) and the entire inept, corrupted police force have conspired to cover up crimes committed against Natalee Holloway and for what?
To protect Juran Van Der Sloot the son of a corrupt want to be Judge from going to prison for the rest of his life. Juran is a predator, rapist, murdering, lying coward and why would you let these corrupted Aruban officials cover for him?

Americans now know and understand this will not be easy for you since your government is corrupted to the highest levels of government. We also know the Aruban government has been bought and paid for by the money launderers, gun runners and drug cartels that paid for the political campaigns that put your corrupt officials in office.

If not for America, stop the cover up and prosecute all the above participants in her kidnapping, rape, murder and cover up, before we Americans show our retribution by boycotting Aruba and killing your economy the same way you let Juran and the kalpoe’s kill Natalee.

So take a stand for the good people of Aruba who don’t won’t to pay the economic price of retribution by the Americans for the injustice your country has shown the Holloway’s and us Americans. Believe me the Van Der Sloot’s are not worth the price the Aruban Tourism industry is going to pay for the injustice your government has perpetrated against the Holloway family.

Note: I promise you if the Holloway’s don’t have justice for Natalee’s kidnapping, gang rape, murder and attempted cover up, you and the rest of the corrupt island of Aruba will pay dearly. I will do everything in my power to choke the life out of your tourism industry and watch it die, just like you did to Natalee Holloway.

Also in the event you fail to show some balls and take a stand against the corrupt justice system of Aruba and allow justice to be served to the Holloway’s , I just want to say Fuck you and fuck you to your entire fucking corrupt government.

Yours truly,
Justice will prevail

[MrsJimiHendrix]

yes with all of this, they did not need another!!

[Michael]

http://www.interpol.com/Public/News/2005/news20050506.asp-- "Conference calls for greater international co-operation in tackling human trafficking"...

Next to last paragraph talks about information gathering and sharing between member LE organizations. Please note that Aruba and the US are both member states with Interpol.

[websleuth2]

It is obvious that there is corruption in Aruba. Just look at Ruben Trapenburg.

[Emma Jean]

You're right Rob.

I've tried all the Natalee-related "yahoogroups" and the only one with REAL NEWS on it seems to be "NataleeNews" yahoogroup.

They often break stories even before Fox and CNN!

I found them at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NataleeNews

[diamondback]

In reference to a question above, I have read that the other islands weren't searched for Natalee. After the search by the F 16's I thought they might expand since their equipment didn't pick up a body on Aruba. Apparently not, they are too busy following the circus leader, Jossy.
About the slavery there's many over "there" that shoot that article down rather vehemently. Check out Clint Van Zandt, MSNBC NBC, Abrams report. There's alot of info there but you'll find something on the white slave trade. Horrifying thought.

[James]

Can't we do something to such an obvious weak and worthless little island nation? I mean what the dutch couldn't protect their whole country against the Alabama National Guard, let alone Aruba or Caracao...I've heard of these prisonlike whore houses on Caracao where, true not every, but probably some American women are held. Why not just say fuck them and invade and the bitches can run into the sea because they sure as hell wouldn't even give us a porblem... I know some of this is just passionate irrational thoughts but I feel we should do something...that all our power in the world has to be worth something, good for something