Joshlin Smith, aged six, went missing in February, 2024, in South Africa and a court heard how she was sold by her mother Racquel ‘Kelly’ Smith with the little girl never found
Footage of a laughing six-year-old girl who was sold “for her eyes and skin” by her own mum left people in a courtroom in tears. Racquel ‘Kelly’ Smith was convicted of kidnapping and trafficking her daughter Joshlin Smith along with her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn.
All three were sentenced to life in jail following a six-week trial at a community centre in Saldanha, South Africa that heard Joshlin had been sold to a traditional healer for her body parts. Ahead of the sentencing a video was shown of Joshlin in an emotionally charged courtroom and a court interpreter was also reduced to tears as she translated victim impact statements into English.
READ MORE: Mum’s evil plot to sell daughter, 6, ‘for eyes and skin’ as fate remains unknown
Their sentences were read out by Judge Nathan Erasmus at a sports centre in the west coast town of Saldanha Bay. The trial was moved to the sports center so members of the local community could attend.
Smith’s daughter, Joshlin, went missing in February 2024 when she was six, sparking a nationwide hunt by police in South Africa. She has still not been found.
Statements were read out to the court by Joshlin’s grandma as well as a family friend who wanted to adopt Joshlin. “How do you sleep [and] live with yourself?” Amanda Smith-Daniels asked her daughter in her victim statement on Wednesday.
While a teacher Edna Maart spoke of her shock at how she could have been sold by her own mother and described Joshlin as quiet and “very tidy”, reported the BBC.
A witness alleged during the trial that Smith had talked of selling her children for 20,000 rand (£850) each, with another saying she had planned to supply her to a healer named “sangoma” who wanted the young girl for her “eyes and skin”.
And a local pastor had testified that he heard Smith say she would have been willing to accept a lower figure of $275 (£204). The young girl’s fate was never confirmed, however, with extensive search efforts launched after she went missing.
Smith had received sympathy last year after her daughter’s disappearance, with neighbours joining the massive search in sand dunes near the impoverished settlement of Middelpos where she lived with her mum, mother’s partner, brother and younger half sister. She had claimed she left the young girl with Appollis the day she went missing last February, adding she had not seen her since then.
Last week, Judge Erasmus said the mum’s conduct was “not that of a concerned parent”, adding he inferred from this that she “knew” what had happened to her daughter. Addressing Smith, he said: “The conduct of … Ms Smith is not that of a concerned parent. And why not? In my mind, the only inference is that you knew (what happened).”
The trial of Smith and her co-accused captivated South Africa, with the courtroom breaking into applause as they were sentenced to life behind bars.
Nathan Erasmus, the presiding judge, said he “drew no distinction” between Smith, her boyfriend and their friend Van Rhyn before handing down the sentences. He said: “On the human trafficking charge, you are sentenced to life imprisonment. On the kidnapping charge, you are sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.”