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A South African woman went on trial Monday, accused of kidnapping and selling her young daughter in a case that has gripped the nation.
Kelly Smith, whose full name is Racquel Chantel Smith, is charged alongside her partner, Jacquin Appollis, and another man, Steveno van Rhyn, in connection with the disappearance of her daughter, Joshlin. The child, who was six years old when she vanished more than a year ago, remains missing despite an extensive nationwide police search.
Prosecutors allege that Smith orchestrated her daughter’s abduction in exchange for money, with the help of Appollis and van Rhyn. She faces charges of kidnapping and human trafficking. All three defendants pleaded not guilty as their trial began in a sports hall in Saldanha Bay, a small coastal town. Authorities moved the proceedings to the larger venue to accommodate community members eager to attend.
In the days following Joshlin’s disappearance, Smith initially gained widespread sympathy, with neighbors rallying to help search for the child in the dunes near their impoverished settlement of shacks and small houses. Smith claimed she had left Joshlin in Appollis’ care on the day she went missing in February 2024 and had not seen her since.
The case took a shocking turn when police questioned Smith and later arrested her. Another woman who was initially detained was not charged and is expected to testify as a state witness.
According to the prosecution, Smith had been planning to sell Joshlin and her two other children since August 2023. Only Joshlin went missing. Investigators also allege that Smith and Joshlin were seen getting into a white vehicle with a bag of clothes on the day the child was reported missing.
The case has sparked outrage in the community. Crowds gathered outside the sports hall, chanting, “We want Joshlin back,” local media reported.
Judge Nathan Erasmus stated that if convicted, the defendants could face life in prison.
