A mother has gone to court after she was accused of selling her six-year-old daughter for $1000.
Six-year-old Joshlin Smith vanished from her Saldanha Bay home in South Africa in February 2024.
Her mother, Kelly Smith, along with her boyfriend, Jacquen Appollis, and friend, Steveno van Rhyn, now stand trial on charges of kidnapping and human trafficking, per AP News.
All three have pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution alleges that Kelly orchestrated her daughter’s abduction, intending to sell Joshlin to a traditional healer, or “sangoma,” attracted by the child’s fair skin and turquoise eyes.
Neighbor and family friend, Lourentia Lombaard, testified that Kelly confided in her about the plan, stating: “I did something silly. I sold my child to a sangoma.”
Lombaard further claimed she saw Kelly pack Joshlin’s clothes into a black bag before meeting a woman believed to be the sangoma.
The trio then departed in a white car, per PEOPLE.
Another neighbor, Paulina Tshosa, recounted witnessing Kelly forcibly drag Joshlin into a shack during an argument the night before the disappearance.
Tshosa described how the child lost a flip-flop in the struggle, a detail that only later resonated when she recognized Joshlin’s image in the media.
The defense has attempted to discredit Lombaard, portraying her as an unreliable drug addict.
Under cross-examination, Lombaard admitted to regular drug use but maintained her account of Kelly’s involvement in Joshlin’s disappearance.
Disturbingly, Joshlin’s teacher testified that Kelly mentioned receiving a call from someone claiming Joshlin was “on a ship, inside a container, and they were on the way to West Africa.”
Despite extensive searches involving police, firefighters, and specialized sniffer dog units, Joshlin remains missing.
The community’s anguish is palpable, with crowds gathering outside the courthouse, chanting: “We want Joshlin back.”
If convicted, the accused faces life imprisonment.
