The 36-year-old Dutch national, who is serving a 28-year sentence for murder, was attacked by two fellow inmates in a common area of the prison, which houses some of the country's most dangerous criminals.
The brawl escalated when additional inmates joined the fray, prompting the intervention of prison guards. Despite suffering only minor injuries, including bruises and lacerations, van der Sloot was examined by medical personnel before being returned to the general prison population.
A representative from Peru's National Penitentiary Institute (NPI) declined to provide specific details about the incident. However, they did confirm that high-profile inmates like van der Sloot are often seen as vulnerable targets within the prison environment. The spokesperson also confirmed that van der Sloot would not face disciplinary action, as he was not the instigator of the fight.
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Van der Sloot is serving his sentence for the 2010 murder of his former girlfriend, Stefany Flores Ramirez, a 21-year-old business student. It remains unclear whether the attack on van der Sloot was motivated by a prison dispute or by the fact that his victim was the daughter of Ricardo Flores, a well-known entertainment impresario and former president of the Peruvian Auto Club. "A lot of people want him dead," conceded the NPI official.
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According to those who have shared a prison environment with van der Sloot, he is known to bully other inmates and frequently instigates arguments and fights. Emil Quiñones, who served time alongside van der Sloot during his extradition to the US on extortion charges related to the Holloway family, described him as "arrogant, cocky, just a total douchebag."
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"He walks around jail like he's the boss. Demands what he wants, treats other guys like s—t. He made a lot of enemies because he's such an a—hole," Quiñones added.
Cas Arends, a childhood friend of van der Sloot, echoed this sentiment, describing him as "combative" and "aggressive."
Following his transfer to the overcrowded Challapalca Prison, located in a remote part of the Andes, van der Sloot was able to secure a bunk, while other new inmates were relegated to sleeping on mattresses on the floor. A Challapalca administrator suggested that van der Sloot's connections within the prison system may have played a role in this arrangement.
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Van der Sloot first came to international attention in 2005, when he was implicated in the disappearance of 18-year-old Natalee Holloway during a class trip to Aruba. He finally confessed to her murder in 2023 as part of a plea deal in his extortion case, although he has not been formally charged due to Aruba's 12-year statute of limitations.
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In 2010, van der Sloot demanded $250,000 from the Holloway family in exchange for information about Natalee's death and disappearance. After receiving a $25,000 down payment, he provided the family with false information about the location of Natalee's remains, which have never been found.
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With the extorted money, van der Sloot traveled to Lima, Peru, where he murdered Stefany Flores Ramirez after she confronted him about his involvement in the Holloway case. In 2021, he was convicted of selling drugs in prison, resulting in an additional 18 years being added to his sentence.
Under Peruvian law, van der Sloot is due for release in 2045, as prison sentences cannot exceed 35 years unless a life sentence has been imposed. However, if he is released early, he will be extradited to the U.S. to serve the remainder of a 20-year sentence for extorting the Holloway family.
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Quiñones, reflecting on van der Sloot's future, said, "I don’t think he’ll ever get out alive. All he really knows is prison and I think he likes it. He’ll either reoffend to stay in jail, or he’ll be killed by someone. I don’t know if he even cares one way or the other.” Van der Sloot's attorney did not respond to requests for comment.
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