The mother is shell-shocked. She sees her husband's future position as a judge probably in ruins. Her son is in jail. He may be a murderer or an accessory. She's a teacher and is most likely on leave right now from her job. Maybe permanently. Her comfortable life on an idyllic island is shattered. More than likely, her husband is telling her nothing. While she is obviously educated, she appears rather provincial and unsophisticated to me.....a Dutch hausfrau impaled upon the fickle finger of fate.
Shortly after she starts the interview, the phone conveniently rings. Her husband, Paulus, leaves to answer it. I do not see him return to her side. She continues on with the interview.
She becomes very upset and emotional regarding her son. She frequently pauses due to tears and eye-dabbing.
All this may have been an act, but I'm inclined to think it was genuine emotion from a frightened woman and an anxious mother very much in the dark.....staunchly defending her family as best she can. At the least, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.
However, here is the important part. After departing from his wife's side due to the convenient phone call, Paulus does not come back to her. What loving husband with a clear conscience wouldn't immediately return to her side, to support her, to hold her hand, to put an arm around her, to figuratively wipe away her tears?
IMO, due to his noticeable absence, he comes off to me as a coward hiding behind his wife's skirts, plus a man whose desire to conceal something and not answer questions overrides the natural feelings of a loving husband.
He leaves the wife (and mother of his son) to ride out the emotional and stressful interview by herself.
I cannot conceive how Paulus will ever become a judge. If he does, heaven help the Arubian judicial system, such as it is.
I feel sorry for both the mothers in this tragedy.
Leni
just as he was caught, hiding in the bushes, the day before, when Greta and Beth Holloway showed up to try to get them to talk to them.
AvdS was on the Today show this morning. I caught part of it. She appeared alone, sans PvdS. Again she defended her son, (understandable). JvdS was accepted to six or seven colleges, good "sporter," etc. He's not arrogant at all, he's tall and confident. He followed house rule and has good morals. (hmmmm)
Somehow or other, these people always seem to give themselves away, IMO.
Remember when Laci Peterson was missing and Scott was doing the TV interview and his cell phone rang? He never even looked to see who it was, when it very well could have been the police calling to say they had found her!
He incriminated himself, just as this guy did; the entire "interview" was so contrived and micromanaged, right down to the candle, that that can be the only explanation. VDS left his wife out in front to take the heat.
But I agree she doesn't know anything.