Joran van der Sloot’s children and family life have attracted renewed interest as the documentary Taken: Natalee Holloway brings attention back to his crimes and imprisonment in Peru. The Dutch national, who admitted killing American teenager Natalee Holloway in Aruba, became a father while serving a prison sentence for the murder of Stephany Flores Ramírez. His daughter was born during his marriage to Peruvian woman Leidy Figueroa, a relationship that later ended amid reports of another romance.
Van der Sloot has one publicly known biological child, a daughter named Dushy, born in September 2014. He welcomed her while incarcerated in Peru, just months after marrying Figueroa in a prison ceremony. Although his personal life has been extensively covered, relatively little reliable information is available about his daughter’s upbringing or current relationship with him.
How Many Children Does Joran van der Sloot Have?
Joran van der Sloot has one publicly documented biological child, his daughter Dushy van der Sloot Figueroa.
She was born on September 28, 2014, in Lima, Peru, while her father was serving a lengthy prison sentence.
Her mother, Leidy Figueroa, had married van der Sloot approximately three months earlier.
At the time, Figueroa also had a son from a previous relationship. That child was not van der Sloot’s biological son.
Some online accounts describe van der Sloot as having two children, but this appears to confuse his biological daughter with his former wife’s older child.
There is no widely verified public reporting establishing that he has fathered another child.
Who Is Joran van der Sloot’s Daughter Dushy?
Dushy van der Sloot Figueroa is the daughter of Joran van der Sloot and his former wife, Leidy Figueroa.
She was born at a maternity hospital in Lima on September 28, 2014.
Her birth attracted international media attention because her father was already imprisoned for murder and remained a central figure in the Natalee Holloway investigation.
At the time, van der Sloot was 27 years old.
His lawyer confirmed the baby’s arrival and discussed the family’s circumstances with reporters.
Her name has appeared in public reporting with different spellings, including Dushy and Dusha Trudie.
Reports from the time indicated that the name was chosen in honor of van der Sloot’s grandmother.
As of November 2026, Dushy is 12 years old.
Details about her schooling, hobbies, and everyday life have not been widely documented, and her mother has generally kept her away from extensive public attention.
Who Is the Mother of Joran van der Sloot’s Child?
The mother of van der Sloot’s daughter is Leidy Figueroa, also identified in reporting as Leydi Figueroa Uceda.
Figueroa is a Peruvian woman who met van der Sloot while he was imprisoned in Lima.
Accounts of their first meeting differ. Some reports describe her visiting another inmate, while others state that she was selling goods inside the prison.
Their relationship developed through regular visits and communication.
Figueroa became pregnant, and the couple decided to marry before their daughter’s birth.
She had previously been described as an accounting student and was already raising a son from an earlier relationship.
Her decision to marry van der Sloot attracted criticism because he had been convicted of murdering Stephany Flores and remained under suspicion in Holloway’s disappearance.
Nevertheless, Figueroa initially defended the relationship and expressed confidence that he could change.
Joran van der Sloot Became a Father While in Prison
Joran van der Sloot was already serving a 28-year prison sentence when his daughter was born.
He had been convicted in 2012 of murdering Stephany Flores Ramírez, a 21-year-old university student who was killed in a Lima hotel room in May 2010.
While incarcerated, he developed a relationship with Figueroa.
The couple married on July 4, 2014, at Piedras Gordas prison in Peru.
Figueroa was approximately seven months pregnant during the ceremony.
The wedding was attended by a small group of people, and van der Sloot’s family members were reportedly absent.
Their daughter’s arrival less than three months later created an unusual situation in which he became a father without being able to participate in ordinary family life outside prison.
Although Peruvian prisons permit certain family visits, the frequency and nature of his contact with his daughter have not been reliably established.
What Happened to Joran van der Sloot’s Marriage?
Van der Sloot’s marriage to Leidy Figueroa eventually deteriorated.
In 2023, his attorney confirmed that he was pursuing a divorce after becoming involved with another woman.
The woman was identified as Eva Pacohuanaco, who reportedly developed a relationship with him during prison visits.
Their involvement began around 2020, several years after Dushy’s birth.
Pacohuanaco later spoke publicly about her relationship with van der Sloot and said she had believed he was separating from his wife.
Some reporting subsequently described Figueroa as his former wife, although the exact date of their legal divorce has not been consistently documented.
Following the breakdown of their marriage, Figueroa largely withdrew from public attention.
There is limited independently verified information about where she and Dushy currently live or how they maintain contact with van der Sloot.
Does Joran van der Sloot Have a Relationship With His Daughter?
The current relationship between Joran van der Sloot and his daughter has not been extensively documented.
Because he has remained incarcerated throughout her life, their opportunities for ordinary parent-child interaction have been limited.
His imprisonment has also involved transfers between facilities in Peru and temporary extradition to the United States for federal proceedings.
In June 2023, he was transferred to the United States to face charges connected to an extortion scheme involving Natalee Holloway’s family.
He later pleaded guilty to extortion and wire fraud and admitted responsibility for Holloway’s killing.
After receiving a 20-year federal sentence, he was returned to Peru to continue serving his existing sentence.
These developments have kept him in custody while his daughter has grown older.
There is no reliable public confirmation of how frequently they communicate or whether she has visited him in recent years.
Where Is Joran van der Sloot Now?
Joran van der Sloot remains imprisoned in Peru for the murder of Stephany Flores Ramírez.
He was originally sentenced to 28 years in 2012 and later received an additional sentence for drug trafficking while incarcerated.
In October 2023, he admitted killing Natalee Holloway in 2005 as part of his U.S. plea agreement.
He stated that he attacked Holloway on an Aruba beach and disposed of her body in the ocean.
Her remains have never been recovered.
Van der Sloot received a 20-year federal sentence in the United States, which runs concurrently with his Peruvian sentence.
As of November 2026, he remains incarcerated at Challapalca prison in southern Peru, with his projected release from Peruvian custody reported as 2045.
His continued imprisonment means that his daughter has spent her entire childhood with her father behind bars.
What Is Known About Joran van der Sloot’s Daughter Today?
Dushy van der Sloot Figueroa has remained largely outside the public spotlight despite the international attention surrounding her father.
She is now 12 years old and is the only publicly confirmed biological child of van der Sloot.
Her mother, Leidy Figueroa, has generally maintained a private life following the breakdown of their marriage.
There is no verified information confirming Dushy’s current school, exact residence, or personal interests.
The renewed attention generated by Taken: Natalee Holloway has brought her father’s personal history back into discussion, but it has not established significant new details about her life.
For readers wondering about Joran van der Sloot’s children, he has one known daughter, Dushy, born in Peru in September 2014. Her mother is his former wife, Leidy Figueroa, whom he married while serving a prison sentence.
Although van der Sloot’s crimes remain the subject of documentaries and public debate, his daughter’s life has largely remained private.
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