South African Mother Convicted of Kidnapping and Selling Missing 6-Year-Old Daughter

Joshlin Smith has not been found more than a year after she went missing

A South African woman, Racquel Chantel Smith, also known as Kelly Smith, was convicted on Friday of kidnapping and human trafficking after selling her six-year-old daughter, Joshlin, in a case that shocked the nation. Joshlin disappeared in February 2024 and remains missing more than a year later.

Smith was found guilty alongside her boyfriend, Jacquin Appollis, and their friend, Steveno van Rhyn. The three were convicted for their roles in the child's disappearance and sale. They now face potential life sentences, with sentencing hearings scheduled to begin next week.

Kelly Smith, the mother of missing child Joshlin Smith

Initially perceived as a grieving mother, Smith received widespread community support after reporting her daughter missing. Residents of the impoverished neighborhood near Saldanha Bay, approximately 120 kilometers north of Cape Town, joined police in searching the nearby sand dunes for the child. Joshlin's photograph, featuring her smiling with pigtails, circulated across South African media as authorities launched a nationwide search.

Joshlin Smith

Smith had claimed she left Joshlin in the care of her boyfriend on the day of the disappearance. However, the investigation took a dark turn when Smith and the two men were arrested. During the trial, a witness testified that Smith confessed to selling Joshlin to a traditional healer for approximately $1,000, allegedly for use in ritualistic practices involving body parts. The court did not determine the identity of the buyer or the exact fate of the child.

Kelly Smith, the mother of missing Joshlin Smith, appears in court in Vredenburg, South Africa, Thursday, March 7, 2024.

The verdict was read by Judge Nathan Erasmus during a hearing held in a Saldanha Bay sports center to accommodate the large number of community members attending. The courtroom erupted in applause as the guilty verdicts were announced.

Joshlin Smith's mother, Kelly appears in court in the case of the disappearance of her daughter from her home, at the Vredenburg Magistrate Court, in Vredenburg