The mother of an American girl missing and presumed dead in Aruba has spoken of the triumph of the human spirit from the darkest depths of despair.

Beth Holloway gave a harrowing account of the search of her daughter Natalee, who disappeared on the Caribbean island on the last night of a school graduation trip.

The message she left with guests at the Physical Abuse Centre's 30th Anniversary Gala however, was one of hope and transformation.

Among those present at the Hamilton Princess event were the mothers of three young people murdered in Bermuda Juliann Moore, mother of Rhiana Moore; Marsha Jones, mother of Shaundae Jones; and Shahidah Abdur-Rahim, mother of Aquil Richardson.

Natalee Holloway, an 18-year-old from Alabama, disappeared from a nightclub in Aruba in 2005.

Although her body has never been found, it is believed she was abducted, raped and murdered.

A suspect in the case, local man Joran van der Sloot, claimed Natalee suffered a seizure and he disposed of her body, but no one has ever been brought to trial.

In what was her first overseas talk outside of the US, Ms Holloway described the events following her daughter's disappearance and her feelings at the failures of the Aruba criminal justice system.

She told guests at the Physical Abuse Centre event: "I feel a real connection being here with you.

"Just as the Physical Abuse Centre is dedicated to helping families and savings lives, I also want to help people who have been victimised.

"What is hope? What does it mean to you and what can it mean to someone experiencing a devastating or traumatic event in their life?

"I have had such a devastating experience and what I concluded is there are phases of hope for everyone to see, depending on what our needs are at that particular moment."

Ms Holloway and her then husband Dave Holloway travelled to Aruba after Natalee disappeared on May 30, 2005.

Faced with a lack of assistance from the local Police, they began to trace her last movements and spoke to Mr. van der Sloot, who was said to have been with Natalee at the Carlos 'n Charlie's nightclub.

"He told us he bought drinks for Natalee and then graphically described all the sexual conduct he engaged in with her as she fell asleep in the back of a car," said Ms Holloway.

Mr. van der Sloot, the son of a judge, said he then dropped Natalee off at her hotel.

Ms Holloway however, believed her daughter had been drugged and abducted.

But the local Police just told her, "She will show up, just wait."

"With very little help from the authorities we were left to search for her on our own," she said.

This search took them to brothels and crackhouses as tip-offs included claims Natalee had been kidnapped by crack addicts for cash.

Ms Holloway said: "The Police regarded Natalee's disappearance as unimportant. They were sure the crackheads would bring her back once her money was gone.

"But despite all of the tips and all our running around, Natalee was nowhere to be found.

"Reporters asked me all the time, 'How do you feel?'. The answer was, I didn't feel anything, I was numb."

Ms Holloway said she felt increasing despair. "The first phase of hope, that she would be found, was turning into a fantasy," she said.

"My human strength was gone. Natalee's purple duffel bag was on the bed in her hotel room all packed and ready to come home and I told her we were sorry, that we had searched so hard but had not found her."

That same evening, Ms Holloway went to pray at a row of crosses and said she was suddenly at peace.

"In the stillness I knew in an instance that Natalee was with God. The wind was blowing hard and I talked to Natalee and promised to get justice for her and to never give up."

Ms Holloway said that through her ordeal, she was buoyed by support she received from people all over the world.

"I received letters and cards from as far away as Jerusalem, and I treasure them," she said.

"It has been life-changing for me to experience the coming together of people for my daughter and my family."

Ms Holloway said hope ultimately transformed her from "a victim to a victor".

She decided to take her experiences and use them to help others.

A teacher herself, she now promotes a travellers' workshop for teenagers in schools across the US.

She also hopes to produce a CD with advice and tips for foreign travel.

"I think this is the best way to honour Natalee, to share the message of personal safety with young adults," she said.

Ms Holloway said this can be as simple as not leaving your group of friends, and making sure you have international dialling on your cell phone, in case of distress.

Describing her daughter as "savvy and confident", she said Natalee nevertheless was "blindsided".

"She never stood a chance against her perpetrators. She had a false sense of security with all of her friends.

"She let her guard down for a moment and in that moment she vanished."

Hope however, remains. Ms Holloway said: "The hope that filled Natalee's heart and mind fills mine, and I will press on.

"Hope is the guiding light in whatever tunnel we find ourselves in."