A South African mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, has been sentenced to life in prison for the terrible crime of trafficking her six-year-old daughter, Joshlin Smith. The sentence also affected two accomplices, Jacquen Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn, who received the same life sentences for their part in the crime. The conviction of the three followed a shocking case that horrified the country and brought attention to the disturbing problem of child trafficking in South Africa.
Warning: Details of child trafficking below.
The case started in February 2024 when Joshlin went missing from her home in Saldanha Bay. Investigations soon uncovered a cruel plan organized by her own mother. Smith, along with Appollis and van Rhyn, supposedly planned to sell Joshlin to a traditional healer, known as a “sangoma,” who reportedly wanted the child’s eyes and skin for use in rituals.
This horrifying motive was supported by testimony from a neighbor, Lourentia Lombaard, who recalled Smith’s confession and later attempted to pay her to stay quiet. Lombaard said that Smith admitted to selling Joshlin and described the deal as “something silly.” More evidence came from Joshlin’s teacher, Edna Maart, who testified that Smith had claimed Joshlin was on a ship going to West Africa. A pastor also came forward, saying that Smith had previously talked about selling her children for around $1,100 each.
Mother of trafficked daughter receives life sentence
The trial lasted several weeks but finally ended with guilty verdicts. Smith, Appollis, and van Rhyn all denied any involvement in Joshlin’s disappearance during the trial, but the strong evidence against them was too much to overcome. Judge Nathan Erasmus, while announcing the sentence, expressed his deep disgust at the defendants’ lack of remorse.
We’ve seen some bad situations between children and their parents. The Turpin parents never sold their children, but they were torturing them. Another example would be the Michigan grandmother who killed her two children. Unfortunately, it seems that with Joshlin still missing, this story also has a sad ending.
Kelly Smith sentenced to life imprisonment for human trafficking her daughter Joslin Smith for R20k
— Judaeda Blanco (@Judaeda3) May 29, 2025pic.twitter.com/Qurvj1HbUd
Judge Erasmus said, “There is nothing that I can find that is redeeming and deserving of a lesser sentence than the harshest I can impose.” The courtroom burst into cheers when the life sentences were announced. Joshlin’s grandmother, who was in court wearing a shirt with Joshlin’s picture, was surely among those relieved by the verdict.
The judge directly addressed the defendants’ drug use, stating that it did not justify their awful crime. The case revealed the tragic details of Joshlin’s disappearance, including the ongoing search for the missing child. Authorities had earlier arrested and questioned a woman suspected of being the intended traditional healer, but she was released due to a lack of evidence.
