South African mother jailed for life for trafficking six year old daughter

A South African woman, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, on Thursday, May 29, was sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping and trafficking her six-year-old daughter, Joshlin Smith.

Her boyfriend, Jacquen Appollis, and their friend, Steveno van Rhyn, received identical sentences.

These verdicts come over a year after Joshlin vanished from outside her home in Saldanha Bay, near Cape Town, in February 2024.

Despite an extensive and high-profile search, the young girl has still not been found.

The case gripped the nation, with the trial running for eight weeks and revealing shocking allegations.

Judge Nathan Erasmus, who presided over the trial, emphasized that all three defendants were equally culpable.

“On the human trafficking charge, you are sentenced to life imprisonment.

On the kidnapping charge, you are sentenced to 10 years imprisonment,” he declared.

The announcement was met with loud applause in the packed community center where the trial was held, allowing local residents to witness the proceedings.

Judge Erasmus spent over an hour outlining the key elements of the case during sentencing.

He condemned the trio, particularly Smith and Van Rhyn, for showing no remorse throughout the process.

“There is nothing that I can find that is redeeming or deserving of a lesser sentence,” he said.

He also commented on the broader emotional toll the crime had taken on the community of Middelpos, stating that the events had left it deeply “fractured.”

Throughout the sentencing, the three convicted individuals remained emotionless.

Smith, aged 35, showed no reaction as her fate was sealed.

Meanwhile, police have pledged to continue the search for Joshlin, with efforts now extending beyond South Africa’s borders.

Western Cape police commissioner Thembisile Patekile affirmed their commitment, saying, “We will not rest until we find [out] what happened to Joshlin.

We are continuing day and night looking for her.”

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed the court’s decision and praised the investigative and legal teams for their work in proving that Joshlin had been trafficked.

According to the NPA, the child was “sold [and] delivered to the intended buyer” for exploitation, specifically for purposes akin to slavery.

In the lead-up to the sentencing, emotions ran high among community members, many of whom called for the harshest possible penalties.

Joshlin’s grandmother, Amanda Smith-Daniels, made a heartfelt plea to her daughter, asking her to return the child or at least disclose her whereabouts.

Speaking to local media outlet Newzroom Afrika, she said, “I don’t feel that any sentence they get will bring my grandchild back.”

She described her family as “broken” by Joshlin’s disappearance and urged her daughter to take responsibility, stating, “She was the person that did the deed.”

The court heard testimonies from over 30 witnesses, which painted a grim picture of Joshlin’s life and the events leading up to her disappearance.

Despite the extensive testimonies, Smith and her co-defendants chose not to testify or call any witnesses in their defense.

Among the most impactful testimonies was that of Lourentia Lombaard, a friend and neighbor of Smith who turned state witness.

Lombaard claimed Smith admitted to doing “something silly” and selling Joshlin to a traditional healer, known locally as a “sangoma.”

She further testified that the buyer allegedly wanted Joshlin for her eyes and skin.

A local pastor added another disturbing layer to the case.

He told the court that Smith had previously mentioned a willingness to sell her children for 20,000 rand each, and would even settle for 5,000 rand ($275).

Another witness, Joshlin’s teacher, claimed Smith had told her during the search that Joshlin was already “on a ship, inside a container, and they were on the way to West Africa.”

These testimonies, particularly from Lombaard and the pastor, were crucial in securing the convictions.

During sentencing hearings, Smith was described by a court-appointed social worker as manipulative and dishonest.

She was even being labeled the “mastermind behind the trafficking of her own daughter.”

The trial concluded with powerful victim impact statements from community members.

All of these underscored the devastation and heartbreak caused by Joshlin’s disappearance.

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