KEY POINTS
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No screams or assaults were reported during interviews in Joshlin Smith case.
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Accused men claimed confessions were coerced, but no evidence was found.
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Detective testified that he saw no signs of abuse during the interviews.
Sergeant Dawid Johannes Fortuin testified in the Western Cape High Court that he did not hear any screams or witness any assault during the interviews with Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis and Steveno ‘Steffie’ van Rhyn, the two males accused in the disappearance of six-year-old Joshlin Smith.
The trial is currently in the “trial within a trial” phase after the accused claimed that their confessions were coerced through assault and torture by the police.
Accused claim coerced confessions
The accused, arrested on March 5, 2024, two weeks after Joshlin went missing from her Middelpos home, face charges of kidnapping and human trafficking, to which they have pleaded guilty.
During the court proceedings, the two men alleged that police officers had assaulted them, forcing them to confess. However, Joshlin’s mother, Racquel ‘Kelly’ Smith, did not make such claims.
Investigation details and the testimony of Sergeant Fortuin
Fortuin recalled a conversation during the investigation when the name of a woman from a local squatter camp, Maka Lima, came up. When he questioned Appollis about Lima, his demeanor changed, confirming his knowledge of her.
Later, during separate interviews with van Rhyn and Appollis, both men indicated that Lima and Smith might know about Joshlin’s disappearance, IOL reported.
Fortuin testified that he observed the accused being moved to different offices and saw no signs of violence or abuse. He emphasized that if any assault had occurred, he would have reported it immediately. The detective maintained that no screams or physical abuse were observed during the investigation.
