Natalee Holloway's Mom Sues National Enquirer
Imagine you're a grieving mother of a legally dead child, but you keep reading in the paper optimistic news that your child might be alive or the crime might be solved.
Then imagine finding out (over and over again) that these news stories have no basis in truth. Imagine the heartbreak.
That's the reality of Natalee Holloway's mother, Beth Holloway, who filed a Natalee Holloway lawsuit against the National Enquirer.
In the lawsuit, it's alleged that the tabloid publishes stories it knows to be untrue. Beth Holloway claims that the paper has written "false headlines, articles and statements" for nearly seven years since the daughter went missing in Aruba, writes The Associated Press.
The lawsuit mentions several articles, including one that claims Joran van der Sloot (who almost everyone believes killed the girl) had a "secret hand-drawn" map to Holloway's grave, reports the AP. The Natalee Holloway lawsuit also claims the magazine knew statements used in its stories were false, but published them anyway.
Natalee Holloway's body was never found, and Beth Holloway holds out hope that she is still alive. But if not, she says that the evidence is overwhelming that Van der Sloot killed her daughter. For his part, Van der Sloot is currently in a Peruvian jail for killing another young lady.
It's not clear from the report what damages Beth Holloway is seeking from the Natalee Holloway lawsuit. One can imagine she would seek an injunction against the National Enquirer from publishing any more false stories related to her daughter. She may also seek damages for pain and suffering, emotional distress, and could require that the tabloid issue a statement that its past stories were fiction.
Related Resources:
- Natalee Holloway's mother sues National Enquirer (CBS)
- Defamation, Libel and Slander (FindLaw)
- Natalee Holloway Declared Legally Dead by Judge (FindLaw's Law & Daily Life)
- Van der Sloot's Extradition to US Must Wait (FindLaw's Blotter)