KEY POINTS
- All the convicts claimed they had nothing to do with what happened to Joshlin.
- There was no indication from Pietersen that he cared or wanted to rehabilitate.
- It is thought that Kelly Smith planned the crime.
A probation officer from Western Cape has urged the High Court to hand the maximum sentence to Kelly Smith, Steveno van Rhyn and Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis for their role in Joshlin Smith’s kidnapping and trafficking.
In Pollsmoor Prison, Errol Daniel Pietersen (a social worker and criminologist) looked at the cases of the three convicts. The report provided before sentencing suggested that he had a long history of crime, showed no regret and was not likely to get better.
Boeta Appollis: emotional but denies guilt
People often saw Boeta Appollis as careful, although he had a past of using drugs. While tearful during the interview, he insisted he had nothing to do with Joshlin going missing. If not for drugs, Pietersen believed Boeta could have stayed out of trouble, yet still advised the judge to sentence him to prison.
Steveno van Rhyn: A menace to society
Steveno van Rhyn, with many robbery, drug trafficking and murder case pending, was seen as dangerous. While confessing to substance abuse, van Rhyn maintained that he had no guilt and accused police and the court. Pietersen said that Keith had no benefits and recommended the strongest punishment.
Kelly Smith: Manipulative mastermind
Kelly Smith appeared as someone who acted solely to her own benefit and in a controlling way. Even though she was working and had an education at the time, she battled drug addiction and had skewed behaviour toward others. Pietersen maintained that she lied about her past and she didn’t show any remorse. According to him, Kelly was responsible for her daughter’s disappearance and used her for personal profits.
Pietersen urged the court to make sure that the remaining kids went into stable homes and argued for the most severe sentence available.
Joshlin Smith case sentence proceedings are scheduled to happen in the following weeks.
