KEY POINTS
- Human trafficking led to life sentences for three accused individuals.
- Six-year-old girl remains missing nearly 16 months after vanishing.
- The victim in this human trafficking case likely suffered abuse.
A mother who sold her six-year-old daughter to a traditional healer was given a life sentence by a South African court.
Family convicted in major human trafficking case involving young girl
Joshlin Smith vanished in February 2024, and Kelly Smith, her boyfriend, and their buddy were sentenced to life in prison for trafficking and kidnapping her.
Smith acknowledged selling Joshlin for £850 as the youngster was prized for her green eyes and skin.
Authorities still haven’t located Joshlin nearly 16 months later, and they don’t know who purchased her or what happened to her after that.
According to Telegraph by Dr. Marcel van der Watt, a trafficking expert from the United States, Joshlin most certainly endured serious maltreatment following her trafficking.
Erasmus issued the maximum penalty permitted by South African criminal law and noted that there was no redeeming aspect.
Smith, Steveno van Rhyn, and her lover Jacquen Appollis were all given life sentences for trafficking and an additional ten years for kidnapping.
When Joshlin disappeared from her home, which is 75 miles north of Cape Town, the people of Saldanha Bay initially felt sorry for Smith.
Joshlin’s cheery face and vivid green eyes went viral online, sparking widespread alarm and a massive search and rescue effort.
As early as 2023, Smith talked of selling her kids for 20,000 rand (£850), according to a local priest who testified in court.
Smith admitted to selling Joshlin to a sangoma out of financial desperation, according to Lourentia Lombaard, a friend and neighbor.
Ongoing search highlights scale of this human trafficking case
According to Lombaard, Smith offered financial rewards to anybody who remained silent about her intention to sell her little daughter.
Smith said that her daughter was already concealed inside a cargo container bound for West Africa, according to Joshlin’s instructor.
At the criminal trial in Saldanha Bay, Smith and her two co-accused refused to call any witnesses or testify.
As the judge read the life sentences out loud, the public gallery cheered and applauded.
The police mentioned that they will keep looking for Joshlin and pursue all leads until they are found.
Justice was served, according to Lt Gen Thembisile Patekile, and police are still dedicated to providing Joshlin’s bereaved family with closure.
He went on to say that the case exposed a serious violation of the moral and legal obligation to safeguard children who are at risk.
After her mother sold her for money and personal advantage, six-year-old Joshlin most certainly suffered horrendous maltreatment.
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