A South African mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, was sentenced to life in prison for trafficking her six-year-old daughter, Joshlin Smith, whose disappearance shocked the nation. Alongside her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and friend Steveno van Rhyn, Smith was found guilty of kidnapping and human trafficking more than a year after Joshlin vanished outside her home in Saldanha Bay in February 2024. Despite extensive public searches and emotional pleas, the child has not been found.
Judge Nathan Erasmus, presiding over the trial in a packed community hall, handed down life sentences to all three, stating he found no redeeming qualities in the accused. “On the human trafficking charge, you are sentenced to life imprisonment. On the kidnapping charge, you are sentenced to 10 years imprisonment,” he declared to a crowd filled with grief and outrage. The judge rebuked the trio’s lack of remorse, especially Smith, who showed no emotion during sentencing.
Witness testimonies played a crucial role in the conviction. A key witness, Lourentia Lombaard, a former friend and neighbor, claimed Smith admitted to selling her daughter to a sangoma—a traditional healer—allegedly for her body parts. Other witnesses, including a pastor and Joshlin’s teacher, recounted shocking statements made by Smith, including that her daughter was “on a ship… on the way to West Africa.” Over 30 witnesses were called during the emotionally charged trial.
Prosecutors argued that Smith, reportedly addicted to drugs, trafficked her daughter for financial gain. The National Prosecuting Authority praised the conviction, citing strong evidence that Joshlin was delivered to a buyer for exploitation. However, the identity of that buyer remains unknown. Police have vowed to continue the search across South Africa and beyond. “We will not rest until we find what happened to Joshlin,” said Western Cape police commissioner Thembisile Patekile.
Community members expressed both heartbreak and fury over the tragedy. Joshlin’s grandmother, Amanda Smith-Daniels, called the sentencing cold comfort, saying, “No sentence will bring my grandchild back.” The case has left the community of Middelpos fractured and grieving, while the mother, once described by a court-appointed social worker as “manipulative” and the likely mastermind, begins her life behind bars.
