A South African woman, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, 34, along with her boyfriend, Jacquen Appollis, and friend, Steveno van Rhyn, were sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday, May 29, for the human trafficking and kidnapping of her missing 6-year-old daughter, Joshlin Smith.
The Western Cape High Court in Saldanha Bay gave the maximum sentence following a year-long investigation and trial that revealed disturbing details surrounding the girl’s disappearance in February 2024.
“There is nothing that I can find that is redeeming and deserving of a lesser sentence than the harshest I can impose,” Judge Nathan Erasmus, who presided over the sentencing, declared.
All three were sentenced to life in prison for human trafficking, with an additional 10 years for kidnapping to be served concurrently.
Despite the convictions, Joshlin Smith remains missing, over a year after she was last seen.
During the emotional courtroom proceedings, Joshlin’s grandmother wore a T-shirt bearing her image, as the crowd cheered the guilty verdicts. However, she said no verdict could bring back her grandchild.
The trial revealed chilling details:
Neighbor Lourentia Lombaard testified that Smith confessed to having “sold [her] child to a sangoma”, a traditional healer, allegedly for her “eyes and skin.” The mother reportedly offered the neighbor money to stay silent.
Teacher Edna Maart testified that Smith claimed Joshlin was on a ship, inside a container, bound for West Africa.
A local pastor reported that Smith once spoke of selling her children for 20,000 rand ($1,100) each.
All three defendants denied involvement throughout the trial, but the evidence proved damning. Judge Erasmus firmly rejected the defense’s suggestion that the trio’s drug addiction explained or excused their crimes:
“That you were users of drugs does not offer justification. It in no way reduces your culpability.”
Smith broke down in tears during her conviction, but the judge and observers noted a lack of genuine remorse.
She has shown “no indication of remorse” for her daughter’s fate, said Judge Erasmus.
Authorities have not closed the case on Joshlin’s disappearance. The search continues, with new pressure to investigate further leads, particularly in connection with traditional healer networks and human trafficking rings.
The woman previously arrested as a possible sangoma was released due to a lack of evidence, though questions remain about her involvement.
