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3w ago

South African Mother and Two Accomplices Convicted of Trafficking Missing 6-Year-Old Daughter

Kelly Smith, her boyfriend, and a friend were found guilty of kidnapping and selling Joshlin Smith, who remains missing over a year after her disappearance.

FILE - Kelly Smith, the mother of missing Joshlin Smith, appears in court in Vredenburg, South Africa, Thursday, March 7, 2024. (AP Photo, File)
Joshlin Smith's mother, Kelly appears in court in the case of the disappearance of her daughter from her home, at the Vredenburg Magistrate Court, in Vredenburg, Saldanha Bay, South Africa, March 7, 2024. REUTERS/Esa Alexander/File Photo
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Kelly Smith (L) was found guilty of trafficking her six-year-old daughter

Overview

  • Joshlin Smith, 6, disappeared from her home in Middelpos, South Africa, in February 2024 and has not been found despite extensive searches and a national reward campaign.
  • Kelly Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Apollis, and their friend Steveno Van Rhyn were convicted of kidnapping and trafficking by the Western Cape High Court on May 2, 2025.
  • Witnesses testified that Smith sold her daughter to a traditional healer for 20,000 rand, with the child allegedly desired for her eyes and skin color.
  • Judge Nathan Erasmus delivered the verdict based on testimony from 35 state witnesses, describing Smith's actions as treating her child as a 'commodity.'
  • The three convicted individuals face the possibility of life imprisonment, with sentencing hearings scheduled for next week as the search for Joshlin continues.