A Black & White View of Aruba and the Natalee Holloway Investigation

Chuck Geiss takes a “Black & White” approach to the Natalee Holloway investigation and the Aruban response. It is his opinion that the Aruban government never wants the crime solved; however, they do want your tourism dollars.

Taking the long view of the Natalee Holloway investigation, it is easy to come to the conclusion that the Aruban government has no interest in resolving this case. However, they do want you to visit the island; tourism officials have unleashed an aggressive new media campaign in the United States and they would prefer that you forget all about Natalee Holloway.

There is certainly no appeal for Aruba’s Police Commissioner, Jan Van der Straaten, in a black and white world.

Aruba’s Police Commissioner, Jan Van der Straaten, ignored repeated pleas to get involved in the case and even told one family friend to go to Carlos & Charlie’s on Wednesday night, “because it is Ladies’ Night and she will certainly be there.”

The police actions seem to get the same grades with their lack of information and idle promises have caused failed expectations.

What little information the police provided to the family and the press was often masked in meaningless phrases, repeated over and over again, such as, “we will have important details in 48 hours,” and “the investigation is reaching a very critical point.”

False information was continuously leaked to the press. DNA evidence that was collected and later rejected by authorities over “procedural problems” was never re-collected. It took 10 days for authorities to arrive at Joran’s home—where he had told police he had taken Natalee—to gather forensic evidence.

There are doubts whether any of the items confiscated there were actually tested.

Then one wonders when looking at things in a black and white manner how the courts could be so closed and shut off?

By Dutch law, all hearings are closed to the public. “On September 1 [at the hearing when Joran was set free], the suspects, the defense, and the prosecutors all appeared before a judge. [Natalee's family] was not allowed to be in the courtroom. “We can’t hear the testimony, we can’t see the body language, we don’t have the opportunity to understand what is happening and why,” said a frustrated Twitty.

A black and white view examines everything from boycott to Aruba’s attempt to bolster tourism with their new ad campaigns. Even though there are some in Aruba that are very uncomfortable with Beth Twitty’s comments, they push forth with tourism.

Twitty has since called for an American boycott of Aruba, as have many high-profile personalities on whose shows she has appeared, including Oprah Wynfrey and Dr. Phil. This doesn’t sit well with some Aruban authorities, such as Justice Minister Rudy Croes who has explored the option of “shutting [Twitty] up,” whatever that means.

Read the full article and and the Aruban efforts to promote tourism and the USA Today story. From a black and while perspective Geiss just says, “Proceed at your own risk”.

Hat Tip: Yellow Ribbon

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