Overview

• Racquel ‘Kelly’ Smith and two co-defendants were convicted of human trafficking and kidnapping, receiving life sentences plus 10-year terms for the abduction.
• Court documents state Smith sold her daughter for 20,000 rand, allegedly to a traditional healer seeking spiritual benefits.
• Judge Nathan Erasmus characterized Smith as manipulative and devoid of remorse during the one-hour sentencing hearing.
• Six-year-old Joshlin Smith vanished from her Saldanha Bay home in February 2024 and remains missing despite a nationwide manhunt.
• Trial witnesses, including the child’s teacher and a pastor, testified Smith discussed selling Joshlin as early as 2023.