Arlene Schipper; “I think it’s about ratings”, with regards to the Dr Phil tape.

Arlene Schipper discusses the Dr. Phil tapes with GretaVan Susteren, ‘On the Record’, November 28, 2005. There are a couple of things that make a lot of sense in this interview and some that ring a bit hollow. I am glad to hear that the police want to make the tapes public. The only question is, stop talking about it and lets hear them.

The police told me specifically on the questions that they have no admission on the tape of rape. So actually the police are willing to release the VHS tape and the CD- Rom that they have obtained to you for you to make up your own mind.

The part that is a little troubling is this blame game that the tape has some how delayed the investigation.

Well, I think it is fair. I think it’s about ratings and it doesn’t help the case. It doesn’t further the investigation sadly enough. It hinders it, because we have lost a lot of time.

Lost time? I thought they had all kinds of leads they had to go back through from the beginning of the investigation that were never got to? I hope that Arlene is not telling us that the investigation would have been on the fast track if it not for this tape? The ALE had nothing else to do?

The rest of the interview with Arlene Schipper.

Tonight new information about the taped interview where Deepak Kalpoe allegedly admitted, or did he to having sex with Natalee Holloway the night she disappeared.
Aruban attorney Arlene Schipper just spoke with the Aruba Deputy Chief of Police.
Arlene joins us live on the phone from Aruba.

Greta: Arlene, so what is the analysis that has been on the tapes that were sent to Holland? Where do we stand on this?

Arlene: They had three objects of the investigation. The Forensic Institute had four investigators testing and investigating the tapes. The footage and compared that to CD-ROM and a VHS tape. Their finding was there have been crucial cuts in the answers to the sex question. I of course asked the police what specific was cut.
They explained it as follows. They said the answer “she did” to the question whether she had sex with all three of the boys shows cuts and it appears that the words “NO” and “didn’t” were cut out so the answer was “no she did not” and they made it “she did”. So a denial actually became an admission.

Greta: So what we may have here is an effort to manipulate, maybe showbiz, entertainment, neglect, accident or even deliberate editing. Fair description in your mind?

Arlene: Well, I think it is fair. I think it’s about ratings and it doesn’t help the case.
It doesn’t further the investigation sadly enough. It hinders it, because we have lost a lot of time. As you recall Greta, it took the authorities over six weeks to obtain these tapes and footage from the Dr. Phil show. They were not volunteered at all.
So actually one has to wonder what is the purpose.

Greta: If we were in the courtroom, they wouldn’t look at an edited tape anyway.
So let me go right to the question about the CD and the VHS tape which apparently it hasn’t been said were tampered with. Do they make any admissions of guilt at all on the part of Deepak?

Arlene: Well, I haven’t seen the tapes. The police told me specifically on the questions that they have no admission on the tape of rape. So actually the police are willing to release the VHS tape and the CD- Rom that they have obtained to you for you to make up your own mind.

Greta: Great and I’d like to hear it and would certainly listen to it. Is there any admission of having sex because of course the question is whether or not she was intoxicated or under the influence of some drug so she couldn’t legally consent?
So is there any admission on the tape as far as you know about having sex with her?

Arlene: As far as I know, as far as I understood from the police and from the results of the Forensic Institute no.

Greta: So what is the next step? I take it that the Chief Prosecutor is now going to listen to it anyway to hear with her own ears whether or not she sees anything of value to the investigation. What do you see as the next step?

Arlene: Well, the next step as I explained already is that they have requested a procedure a mutual legal assistance Treaty with the U.S. and the FBI to confirm these results. As well as investigate the hard disk of the laptop of Mr. Skeeters so they can be certain of the real raw material. What they have obtained is all copies of CD’s and VHS tapes by Mr. Skeeters.

Greta: The original is what matters in the whole business. Editing and doctoring and messing around or doing whatever is done to the tape does nothing to advance it. It would never be admissible in court no matter what.