A South African woman convicted of kidnapping and trafficking her six-year-old daughter has been sentenced to life in prison, along with her two accomplices.
The jail terms for Racquel “Kelly” Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn’s come more than a year after Joshlin Smith mysteriously disappeared outside her home in Saldanha Bay, near Cape Town.
Despite a highly publicised search for the girl, who vanished in February 2024, she is yet to be found.
The sentencing follows a six-week trial that captivated South Africa, with witnesses and prosecutors making a number of shocking allegations.
Judge Nathan Erasmus said he “drew no distinction” between the trio in handing down the sentences.
“On the human trafficking charge, you are sentenced to life imprisonment. On the kidnapping charge, you are sentenced to 10 years imprisonment,” he said to loud applause in the courtroom.
Smith and her accomplices showed no emotion as their sentences were read out.
Emotions were high ahead of the sentencing, with angry community members saying the trio should get a “harsh sentence because they deserve it”.
Ahead of sentencing, Joshlin’s grandmother, Amanda Smith-Daniels, once again pleaded with her daughter to “bring my [grand]child back or tell me where she is”.
“I don’t feel that any sentence they get will bring my grandchild back,” she told local broadcaster Newzroom Afrika.
Ms Smith-Daniels said that Joshlin’s disappearance had left her family “broken”.
She urged her daughter to stop blaming others for her misfortune as she “was the person that did the deed”.
During the trial, the court heard testimonies from more than 30 witnesses, who painted a picture of the young girl’s troubled life and subsequent disappearance.
Kelly Smith and her accomplices refused to testify or call any witnesses for their defence.
