In a case that has engulfed the country and devastated a community, a South African mother was found guilty of kidnapping and trafficking her six-year-old daughter, Joshlin Smith, and was given a life sentence.
Judge Nathan Erasmus of the Western Cape High Court sentenced Racquel “Kelly” Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis, and their friend Steveno Van Rhyn to life in prison. The hearing took place in a community center in Saldanha Bay.
You have been sentenced to life in prison on the accusation of human trafficking. According to BBC News, Erasmus announced, “You are sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on the kidnapping charge,” to thunderous acclaim from the courtroom audience.
He “drew no distinction” between the three, the judge wrote, adding, “There is nothing that I can find that is redeeming or deserving of a lesser sentence.”
Joshlin’s destiny is unknown despite the sentence. She disappeared from her residence in Middelpos, a seaside community close to Cape Town, in February 2024. The hunt is still ongoing more than a year later.
