So, today, Joran Van der Sloot has once again tied himself to the disappearence of Natalee, and this time, has admitted just how he disposed of the body. To say that this infuriates me is moot. The police department in Aruba has been useless from the beginning. From the early 1950's, the American justice system has had to learn the hard way that a criminal doesn't always wear all black, hang out in ally ways, or act suspicious. Sometimes, the killer is living next door, paying his taxes; sometimes the killer is as close as the pillow next to yours. So when authorities in Aruba discounted Joran Van der Sloot's obvious guilt on account of his prominent last name, I was concerned about the validity of the investigation. Now, four years later, Natalee is still missing, Joran is still free, and both sets of parents are forever changed.
Having my own child now, I can image to some extent how Beth Twitty, Natalee's mother, must feel. To get a call in the middle of the night that the baby you carried for nine months, gave birth to, and fought so hard to protect is missing, has to be the absolute worst and most helpless feeling. And now, as if this over privledged ass of a young man parading around freely and shopping his knowledge of Natalee's last moments around to any well-paying tabloid isn't enough salt in the wounds, he's now admitted to disposing of the body, which he won't be prosecuted for. Why? Because Aruban authorities believe he's "making it all up" and that these supposed confessions are "lies and fantasy". At this point, the best Ms. Twitty can do is have faith that Joran will get his punishment in the end.
Now, I'm not saying that Natalee's own actions didn't get her into some sort of trouble. Barely legal teens allowed to party over seas, and especially on an island that promotes free sex and early-age binge drinking, can spell disaster on any level, but disaster aside, it should never spell homicide. The problem with losing self control in a foreign environment is not unlike the problem of losing it at home: men are lurking at every corner looking for the girl who's easiest to take. Back before I converted to the church, I was one for cocktails at nice clubs and restaurants with my good friends. The danger isn't always in the alcohol, but in the company you keep. One night, my friend and I dressed up and went for margaritas at Chili's, just the two of us. She and I were young, and for that reason alone, a bit careless. After just a drink or two, I noticed a man staring at us from the bar. He was much older, and staring with an intensity that made me nervous. A few hours passed, and I suddenly noticed that almost everyone in the bar area had left with the exception of us and him. I was ready to leave, and had been for a while, but my friend (insistent on taking her drinking to the next level) wanted to stay, the worst part being that she was my ride. The more she drank, the more this man became interested in our table, so much so that he bought us each a drink. This was the point in the evening where I had finally hit my limit. I grabbed her arm and told her it was time to go, but not before I spoke with the host working the door. I ended up offering him five dollars to walk my friend and I to her car, and explained to him what was going on. He didn't take the money, but he did walk us to her car, and before we got in, shared a piece of advice, "Being a girl is dangerous enough, " he said, "don't make it harder by being out late, out numbered, and on alcohol." I took his advice and got my friend safely home to my parent's house, glad that someone was willing to help in some way. I felt like an idiot for being in that situation in the first place, and that was difficult enough, but I felt even worse that I had to employ someone else's help for my mistake.
Seems like I've digressed a bit? Not in the slightest, I promise I have a point to all of this. My point is to reach out more. Find some way to help these young girls feel content with being their age and nothing more. The adult lifestyle can be quite enticing to a young woman who's used to hearing the word "no", or feeling like she's still an awkward 8th grader in braces. I say it's enticing because these young girls don't know the truth about life, or the danger that loose behaviors will bring. If we make an effort to educate our girls, maybe these recent cases of girls out late at night going missing, or girls murdered by overly possesive boyfriends could begin to go down as myth instead of the headline of a CNN report.
Altogether, I wish the best for Ms. Twitty and Mr. Holloway. Life has delt them a cruel hand and they are missing a daughter and all of the wonderful things she could have delivered. I hope that in time, we will get to the bottom of this case and Natalee's parents will have the peace of mind the deserve.
