Cape Town, South Africa — A storm of raw emotion swept through the courtroom today as Racquel “Kelly” Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis, and their accomplice Steveno van Rhyn were each sentenced to life imprisonment for the kidnapping and trafficking of six-year-old Joshlin Smith—a case that horrified the nation and exposed chilling cracks in child protection systems.
Joshlin, a bright-eyed girl from Saldanha Bay, vanished without a trace earlier this year. After weeks of desperate searches, the devastating truth emerged: she had been abducted by those closest to her. Her mother, Kelly Smith, was at the centre of it all—accused of orchestrating her own daughter’s disappearance to settle a drug debt.
In a packed courtroom, Judge Marelise Fourie did not mince words during sentencing, calling the crime “a grotesque betrayal of trust and innocence.”
“Unforgivable Acts”
“These were not strangers,” Judge Fourie said. “This child was sold into darkness by the very people meant to protect her. Society must be shielded from such inhumanity.”
Smith, Appollis, and van Rhyn sat expressionless as the life sentences were handed down. Gasps, sobs, and shouts filled the gallery—some from supporters of the victim, others from the accused’s families, unable to reconcile the outcome with their personal beliefs.
Joshlin’s body has never been found.
A Nation Responds
Outside the courthouse, supporters held photos of Joshlin, chanting for justice and harsher penalties for crimes against children.
“This isn’t just about Joshlin anymore,” said activist Nadine Jacobs from the group Voice for the Voiceless. “It’s about every child who suffers in silence. This case must be a turning point.”
The Road to Justice
Prosecutors laid out a disturbing sequence of events: how the trio lured the child away, facilitated her sale to an alleged trafficking ring, and tried to cover their tracks. Mobile records, testimonies from informants, and surveillance footage built an airtight case—though the absence of a body remains a haunting gap in the narrative.
Police say the broader trafficking network remains under investigation, with more arrests possible.
Closure Without Peace
While the life sentences provide some sense of justice, many in the courtroom—and across the country—were left with a lingering sense of sorrow.
“She should be in school, playing with friends,” said a family friend. “Instead, we have court transcripts and tears.”
