A South African woman found guilty of kidnapping and trafficking her six-year-old daughter has received a life sentence alongside her two accomplices.
The sentencing of Racquel “Kelly” Smith, her partner Jacquen Appollis, and their associate Steve van Rhyn follows over a year since the enigmatic disappearance of Joshlin Smith, who vanished outside her residence in Saldanha Bay, close to Cape Town.
In the wake of a widely covered search effort, the girl who disappeared in February 2024 remains missing.
The sentencing comes after a six-week trial that held South Africa’s attention, featuring witnesses and prosecutors who presented a series of startling allegations.
Judge Nathan Erasmus stated that he “drew no distinction” among the three individuals while delivering the sentences.
The court has handed down a life imprisonment sentence for the charge of human trafficking. ” You are sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on the kidnapping charge,” he announced, prompting a wave of applause to erupt in the courtroom.
Judge Erasmus delivered the sentence over an hour ago, carefully summarising the case and emphasizing key points that emerged throughout the trial.
He criticized the trio, particularly Mr. van Rhyn and Ms. Smith, pointing out their lack of remorse for their actions.
“I cannot identify anything that warrants a more lenient sentence,” he stated.
He addressed the repercussions of their actions on the Middelpos community, where the girl resided, noting that it had left residents feeling “fractured.”
Smith, 35, and her accomplices displayed a lack of emotion as their sentences were delivered at the community center in Saldanha, a venue chosen to enable residents to witness the proceedings.
Authorities announced that the search for the young girl will extend beyond the borders of South Africa.
Efforts to uncover the truth surrounding Joshlin’s disappearance will continue unabated. ” We are tirelessly searching for her, day and night,” stated Western Cape police commissioner Thembisile Patekile in an interview with local media.
As the sentencing approached, tensions escalated among community members, who expressed their outrage and called for a severe punishment for the trio, asserting that they had earned it.
As the sentencing approaches, Amanda Smith-Daniels, the grandmother of Joshlin, has made another heartfelt appeal to her daughter, urging her to “bring my [grand]child back or tell me where she is.”
“I don’t believe that any sentence they receive will bring my grandchild back,” she stated in an interview with local broadcaster Newsroom Afrika.
Ms. Smith-Daniels expressed that the disappearance of Joshlin has left her family in a state of devastation.
She implored her daughter to take responsibility for her misfortunes, emphasizing that she “was the person that did the deed.”
The trial featured testimonies from over 30 witnesses who provided insights into the young girl’s troubled life and her subsequent disappearance.
Kelly Smith and her associates declined to provide testimony or summon any witnesses to support their defense.
The most dramatic testimony was delivered by Lourentia Lombaard, a friend and neighbor of Smith who has now become a state witness.
Ms. Lombaard claimed that Smith informed her she had engaged in “something silly” and had sold Joshlin to a traditional healer, referred to in South Africa as a “sangoma.”
Ms. Lombaard testified in court that the individual accused of taking Joshlin was motivated by a desire for her eyes and skin.
A local pastor provided testimony indicating that in 2023, he overheard Smith, a mother of three, discussing the possibility of selling her children for 20,000 rand ($1,100; £850) each. However, she reportedly expressed a willingness to consider a lower amount of $275.
In court, Joshlin’s teacher claimed that Smith had informed her during the search that her daughter was already “on a ship, inside a container, and they were on the way to West Africa.”
The testimonies provided by Ms. Lombard and the clergyman played a crucial role in achieving a conviction.
At the sentencing hearings, Smith was characterized as manipulative, with witnesses alleging that he engaged in “bald-faced lies.” A social worker tasked with compiling a report on Smith and her associates asserted that it would not be unreasonable to conclude that Kelly Smith is the mastermind behind the trafficking of her daughter.
During the proceedings, the court was presented with compelling testimonies from individuals familiar with Joshlin, highlighting the profound impact her disappearance has had on the community.
