Joran van der Sloot’s daughter, Dushy van der Sloot Figueroa, has attracted renewed public interest following the release of the Netflix documentary Taken: Natalee Holloway. The documentary revisits the disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway and the confession that eventually established Van der Sloot’s responsibility for her murder. While his criminal history remains the focus of international attention, questions have also emerged about his daughter and the family he started while imprisoned in Peru.

Dushy is the only publicly known child of Joran van der Sloot and his former wife, Leidy Figueroa. She was born in Lima, Peru, in September 2014, just months after her parents married during his imprisonment. Now 12 years old, she has largely remained outside the public spotlight, and little verified information is available about her current relationship with her father.

Who Is Joran van der Sloot’s Daughter?

Joran van der Sloot has one publicly known daughter named Dushy van der Sloot Figueroa.

She was born on September 28, 2014, at a maternity hospital in Lima, Peru.

Her father was already serving a lengthy prison sentence for the murder of 21-year-old Peruvian student Stephany Flores Ramírez when she was born.

Her mother, Leidy Figueroa, is a Peruvian woman who developed a relationship with Van der Sloot during his incarceration.

The couple married in July 2014, approximately two months before their daughter arrived.

Dushy’s birth attracted international media coverage because of her father’s involvement in two widely reported criminal cases.

However, she has not become a public figure herself, and her family has generally avoided sharing detailed information about her upbringing.

There are no widely verified public accounts of her schooling, personal interests or everyday activities.

Her life has remained largely separate from the international attention surrounding her father’s convictions.

How Old Is Dushy van der Sloot?

Dushy van der Sloot Figueroa is 12 years old as of November 2026.

She celebrated her twelfth birthday on September 28, having been born in 2014.

Her birth occurred during a particularly significant period in her father’s imprisonment.

Joran had been convicted of murdering Stephany Flores in January 2012 and was serving his sentence in Peru.

At the time, he was also internationally known as the principal suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba.

Dushy was born more than nine years after Holloway disappeared in May 2005.

Her arrival made Van der Sloot a father while he was already facing the prospect of spending decades behind bars.

Although her birth was widely reported, relatively few personal details have emerged about her childhood.

Her age and birth date remain among the clearest publicly documented facts about her.

Who Is Dushy’s Mother Leidy Figueroa?

Dushy’s mother is Leidy Figueroa, a Peruvian woman who married Joran van der Sloot while he was incarcerated.

Figueroa has been described in public reporting as an accountant.

She reportedly met Van der Sloot while visiting another inmate at Miguel Castro Castro prison in Lima.

Their acquaintance developed into a romantic relationship despite the considerable attention surrounding his criminal conviction.

The couple eventually decided to marry, and their wedding took place inside the prison in July 2014.

Figueroa was pregnant with their daughter at the time.

Their marriage received extensive coverage because Van der Sloot was already serving a sentence for murder and remained connected to the unresolved Holloway investigation.

Following the wedding, Figueroa publicly defended her relationship with him.

However, their marriage did not remain stable.

In May 2023, Van der Sloot’s attorney confirmed that the couple were pursuing a divorce.

Public reporting has not consistently established every detail of the divorce proceedings or their final legal status.

Figueroa has since maintained a comparatively private life, particularly regarding her daughter’s upbringing.

Why Was His Daughter Named Dushy?

The name Dushy has a personal connection to Joran van der Sloot’s family history and his upbringing in Aruba.

Reports published around her birth indicated that the name was chosen in honour of his maternal grandmother.

The name also resembles the Papiamento word “dushi,” commonly used in Aruba and other parts of the Dutch Caribbean.

In Papiamento, the word can mean sweetheart, darling or something sweet.

This linguistic connection reflects Van der Sloot’s childhood in Aruba, where he grew up after his family relocated from the Netherlands.

Although Dushy was born in Peru, her name therefore carries a connection to her father’s Dutch-Caribbean background.

The decision attracted attention when her birth was announced because journalists examined the meaning behind the unusual name.

Beyond that explanation, the family has not publicly shared extensive details about the personal significance of her name.

Does Dushy Have Contact With Her Father?

It is not publicly established whether Dushy maintains regular contact with Joran van der Sloot.

Her father has spent nearly her entire life incarcerated in Peru, including periods at Challapalca prison.

The facility is located in the Andes mountains and is known for its remote setting and difficult environmental conditions.

Its location can make family visits particularly challenging because of the distance from major population centres.

Van der Sloot’s imprisonment has also involved transfers between correctional facilities and legal proceedings connected to his convictions.

In 2023, he was temporarily transferred to the United States to face federal extortion and wire fraud charges involving Natalee Holloway’s family.

He pleaded guilty and received a 20-year sentence that runs concurrently with his Peruvian imprisonment.

Following those proceedings, he returned to Peru.

Although reports have discussed his relationships with family members and former partners, reliable information about his communication with Dushy remains limited.

There is no confirmed public account establishing whether she visits him, speaks with him or has chosen to maintain distance.

Why Is Joran van der Sloot’s Daughter in the News?

Interest in Dushy has increased as renewed coverage of the Natalee Holloway case brings attention to Van der Sloot’s personal history.

The Netflix documentary Taken: Natalee Holloway examines the disappearance of the Alabama teenager and the long investigation that followed.

In October 2023, Van der Sloot confessed that he had killed Holloway on an Aruban beach in 2005.

His admission came during federal court proceedings involving his attempts to obtain money from her family in exchange for information about her disappearance.

The confession renewed international discussion of his crimes, prison sentence and relationships.

As a result, questions about his former wife and daughter have resurfaced.

However, Dushy has no involvement in her father’s criminal actions, and her private circumstances should be considered separately from his history.

For readers searching for Joran van der Sloot’s daughter, the established facts are that Dushy was born in Peru in September 2014 and is the daughter of Leidy Figueroa.

Her current personal life remains private, with no reliable public confirmation about the extent of her relationship with her imprisoned father.