A South African woman, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, has been sentenced to life in prison for trafficking her six-year-old daughter, whose mysterious disappearance gripped the nation. Alongside her, the court handed identical sentences to her boyfriend, Jacquen Appollis, and their friend, Steveno van Rhyn, following a harrowing trial that unfolded in the wake of young Joshlin Smith’s disappearance in February 2024.
Joshlin vanished from outside her home in Middelpos, Saldanha Bay, near Cape Town. Despite an intensive and widely publicised search effort, her whereabouts remain unknown more than a year later. The case, steeped in disturbing allegations and emotional testimony, drew national attention as the trial progressed over six weeks.
Delivering judgment at a packed community centre in Saldanha, Judge Nathan Erasmus made clear there would be no leniency. Addressing the trio directly, he imposed life sentences for human trafficking and an additional 10 years each for kidnapping. He spoke slowly and deliberately, underscoring how little remorse any of the accused had shown and describing the emotional damage they had inflicted on their community.
“There is nothing redeeming in your conduct,” he told the court, adding that the small town of Middelpos had been left emotionally fractured by the events.
Inside the courtroom, there was applause as the sentences were read out. Outside, emotions ran high, with residents calling for the harshest punishment possible. Among the onlookers was Joshlin’s grandmother, Amanda Smith-Daniels, who said the family remains devastated and in pain. Her voice breaking, she pleaded with her daughter to tell the truth. “Bring my grandchild back, or at least tell me where she is,” she said.
During the trial, prosecutors called more than 30 witnesses, many of whom gave chilling accounts of what they knew or heard. The most damning came from Lourentia Lombaard, a neighbour who became a key state witness. She testified that Smith had admitted to selling her daughter to a traditional healer, a sangoma, claiming the child was wanted for her eyes and skin.
Other testimony included a pastor who told the court he overheard Smith speaking of selling her children for as little as R5,000 (roughly $275). Joshlin’s schoolteacher also recalled a chilling moment when Smith allegedly said the girl was already hidden in a shipping container bound for West Africa.
Despite the gravity of the case, Smith and her co-accused declined to testify or present any defence. A social worker’s report painted a grim portrait of Smith, calling her manipulative and likely the mastermind behind the crime.
Western Cape police say the search for Joshlin is far from over. “We will not rest until we find out what happened to her,” said Commissioner Thembisile Patekile, assuring the public that efforts will continue both within South Africa and across its borders.
The heartbreak of Joshlin’s disappearance still lingers in her hometown, where her absence is a wound that hasn’t healed — and justice, though delivered, offers little comfort without answers.
