A South African mother has been sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping and trafficking her six-year-old daughter, who remains missing more than a year after her disappearance.
Kelly Smith — also known as Racquel Chantel Smith — was found guilty alongside her boyfriend, Jacquen Appollis, and their friend Steveno Van Rhyn.
The trio stood trial for their role in the disappearance of young Joshlin Smith from the coastal town of Saldanha in the Western Cape last year.
Joshlin’s whereabouts remain unknown despite a nationwide search and an outpouring of support from the public at the time of her disappearance.
During the trial, harrowing testimony revealed that Smith told a witness she had sold her daughter to a sangoma — a traditional healer — for 20,000 rand (approximately £830). The child was allegedly wanted for her “eyes and skin”.
All three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In the early days following Joshlin’s disappearance, Smith appeared to win national sympathy, with neighbours joining police efforts in the search.
She initially claimed that she had left her daughter in the care of Appollis on the day the girl vanished — a claim that quickly unravelled under investigation.
Court documents revealed chilling details, including evidence that Smith had planned to sell her two other children as well. Prosecutors said Smith and Joshlin were seen getting into a white car with a bag of clothes on the day the child was reported missing.
Handing down the sentences on Thursday, High Court Judge Nathan Erasmus condemned the trio’s actions, saying their drug use offered no justification.
“There is nothing that I can find that is redeeming and deserving of a lesser sentence than the harshest I can impose,” he said.
The case has shocked communities across South Africa, with growing calls for better protection of vulnerable children and stricter penalties for human trafficking.
Joshlin Smith remains missing.
