SALDANHA BAY, SOUTH AFRICA – A South African woman has been found guilty of trafficking her six-year-old daughter, who has been missing for over a year, in a case that drew national outrage and widespread media attention.
Racquel “Kelly” Smith, 35, was convicted on Friday alongside her boyfriend, Steveno van Rhyn, and their friend Jacquen Appollis. The three were found guilty of human trafficking and kidnapping by Judge Nathan Erasmus at the Saldanha Bay Circuit Court.
Joshlin Smith, the missing child, was allegedly sold for R20,000 to a traditional healer reportedly interested in her green eyes and light complexion. Witnesses, including a schoolteacher and a pastor, told the court that Smith had spoken of selling her daughter as early as 2023.
Erasmus said evidence from 35 state witnesses supported the conclusion that the child was treated as a “commodity” and that a transaction had occurred. “Joshlin was exchanged,” the judge said, noting that there were confirmed payments or promises of payment.
The trial was held in a community hall in the small fishing town 135 kilometres north of Cape Town. Locals, many of whom joined the search for Joshlin in early 2024, gathered outside chanting “We want Joshlin back” and applauded the verdict.
Initially viewed as a distressed mother, Smith gained public sympathy when Joshlin’s photos spread across media platforms. Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie even offered a R1 million reward for the girl’s safe return.
However, suspicions grew as Smith appeared calm during the search and investigators uncovered disturbing accounts pointing to a planned sale.
Sentencing has been postponed, but the convicted face potential life imprisonment.
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