( CNN ) -- Joran van der Sloot will stand trial beginning January 6 on robbery and murder charges related to a 21-year-old woman 's death , a Peruvian court announced Friday . The timetable from the Superior Court of Lima came days after a panel of judges ruled against having the Dutch national face an even more stringent slate of charges , as the victim 's family members had requested . Instead , he will face the original charges levied against him -- which , if he is convicted on all counts , could lead to a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison . Van der Sloot is accused of killing Stephany Flores in his Lima hotel room last year . Police say he took money and bank cards from her wallet and fled to Chile , where he was arrested a few days later . He was charged in September with `` qualified murder '' and simple robbery , which carry sentences of 28 years and two years , respectively . The victim 's family asked a three-judge panel for a charge akin to aggravated murder , which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison . The panel ruled against the family and in favor of prosecutors ' original indictment . Van der Sloot 's defense attorney , Luis Jimenez Navarro , then told InSession that the judge 's decision was a major victory for his client . If van der Sloot is found guilty and sentenced to the maximum penalty , under Peru 's jail reduction credits , he might serve only a third of the term . As of early next month , van der Sloot will have spent 18 months in Peruvian prison . Jimenez has previously said that his client could confess to a charge of simple homicide . Despite the panel 's decision , the Flores family has remained hopeful that van der Sloot will face more serious charges . A family attorney said that because of the way the justice system works in Peru , the charges could change once the trial begins . Van der Sloot was once the prime suspect in the case of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway , who vanished while on a graduation trip to the Caribbean island of Aruba . He was arrested twice but never charged in connection with Holloway 's disappearance , which is still unsolved . He also faces extradition charges to the United States . In June 2010 , a federal grand jury in Alabama indicted van der Sloot on charges of wire fraud and extortion after allegations surfaced that he tried to extort $ 250,000 from Holloway 's mother . He was given a total of $ 25,000 , and authorities believe he used that money to travel to Peru and participate in a poker tournament , where he met Flores . InSession 's Mayra Cuevas contributed to this report .
The Superior Court of Lima announces the Dutch national 's trial will start January 6 . He will face robbery and murder charges related to Stephany Flores ' death . A panel of judges recently ruled not to levy a charge that could carry a life sentence .