Joshlin Smith: South African mother who sold her daughter after 'healer' wanted child jailed for life - as search for little girl continues
A South African woman convicted of kidnapping and trafficking her six-year-old daughter has been sentenced to life in prison.
The jail terms for Racquel "Kelly" Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn's come more than a year after Joshlin Smith mysteriously disappeared outside her home in Saldanha Bay, near Cape Town. Jacquen Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn have also been sentenced to life in prison.
The girl vanished in February 2024 and is yet to be found. The sentencing follows a six-week trial.
Judge Nathan Erasmus said he "drew no distinction" between the trio in handing down the sentences. He said: "On the human trafficking charge, you are sentenced to life imprisonment. On the kidnapping charge, you are sentenced to 10 years imprisonment”.
Judge Erasmus took over an hour to deliver the sentence and was measured as he gave a brief summary of the case and highlighted points that stood out during the trial. He rebuked the trio, especially Mr van Rhyn and Ms Smith, saying they showed no remorse for their actions.
He also spoke of the impact their conduct had on the community of Middelpos, where the girl lived, saying it had left residents "fractured". Police said the search for the little girl would continue, even beyond South Africa's borders.
Ahead of sentencing, Joshlin's grandmother, Amanda Smith-Daniels, once again pleaded with her daughter to "bring my [grand]child back or tell me where she is". Ms Smith-Daniels said that Joshlin's disappearance had left her family "broken".
Kelly Smith and her accomplices refused to testify or call any witnesses for their defence. The most explosive came from Lourentia Lombaard, a friend and neighbour of Smith who turned state witness.
Ms Lombaard alleged that Smith told her she had done "something silly" and sold Joshlin to a traditional healer, known in South Africa as a "sangoma". The "person who [allegedly took] Joshlin wanted her for her eyes and skin", Ms Lombaard told the court.
A local pastor testified that in 2023, he had heard Smith - a mother of three - talk of selling her children for 20,000 rand ($1,100; £850) each, though she had said she was willing to accept a lower figure of $275. Joshlin's teacher then alleged in court that Smith had told her during the search that her daughter was already "on a ship, inside a container, and they were on the way to West Africa". It was the testimonies of Ms Lombard and the clergyman that were key to securing a conviction.