van Der Sloot Beaten Badly in Peruvian Prison

Joran van der Sloot, who is serving time in a Peruvian prison for the murder of a young woman he met in a casino, is said to have been beaten up in prison, according to his attorney.

van der Sloot is set to be extradited to the U.S. on extortion and wire fraud charges stemming from an accusation that he tried to profit from his connection to the Natalie Holloway case.  He was a suspect in her disappearance as well.  Holloway, an Alabama high school graduate, was visiting Aruba when she vanished in 2005.

Holloway was last seen driving off with a group of young men, including van der Sloot, then 17.

van der Sloot would later appear in Peru to take part in a poker tournament.  It was there where he met 21-year-old college student Stephany Flores at a local Lima casino.  He would later be found guilty of her murder and sentenced to 28 years.

Van der Sloot's Peruvian attorney, Maximo Altez, said he doesn't believe the beating was related to the upcoming extradition.

The beating is believed to be connected to gang rules inside of the Challapalca Prison, where he's being held, Altez said.

The beating is believed to have been severe.

Earlier this month the Peruvian government issued an executive order accepting a request by U.S. authorities for a temporary extradition. An extradition date has not been set.

- Nagesh Rath, Gambling911.com