By Chinasaokwu Helen Okoro
A South African woman, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, and her two accomplices, Jacquen Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn, have been sentenced to life imprisonment for human trafficking and 10 years for kidnapping Smith’s six-year-old daughter, Joshlin Smith, who vanished in February 2024 from Saldanha Bay and remains missing.
The eight-week trial featured over 30 witnesses, with shocking testimonies that included allegations Smith sold her daughter to a traditional healer (sangoma) for exploitation. Key witnesses included a neighbour who said Smith admitted to selling Joshlin, and a pastor who claimed Smith discussed selling her children for as little as $275.
Judge Nathan Erasmus handed down the sentences without leniency, stating the trio showed no remorse and had deeply fractured the community. Police vowed to continue searching for Joshlin, even internationally.
The National Prosecuting Authority praised the conviction, citing the strong evidence of trafficking for slavery-like exploitation. Community members and Joshlin’s grandmother expressed grief and anger, with the grandmother urging Smith to reveal the child’s whereabouts. Smith and her accomplices declined to testify or present any defense during the trial.
