Cape Town – Calls are mounting for Kelly Smith to reveal the whereabouts of her missing six-year-old daughter, Joshlin, as she and co-accused Jacquen Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn await sentencing next Tuesday in the Western Cape High Court.
All three have been convicted of human trafficking.
Joshlin’s fate remains unknown, sparking national outrage and public demands for justice.
[BREAKING] Judge Nathan Erasmus finds Joshlin’s mother Kelly Smith, Jacquen Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn guilty of kidnapping and human trafficking.#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/opGqXJBokS
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) May 2, 2025
According to SABC News, NGO Save The Children has joined the outcry, urging the court to impose life sentences due to aggravating factors—Joshlin’s young age, the suspects’ intent, and the continued withholding of critical information.
“Our expectations are that we would love to see a life sentence. There are definitely aggravating factors that support that. First of all, you know the age of Joshlin. We need to look at the motivation and the intent that her mother had and very clearly the fact that we still don’t know Joshlin’s fate and that they’ve withheld this information,” the report quoted the group’s programme director, Megan Briede, as saying.
The case has ignited a broader debate on child protection laws and appropriate sentencing for child trafficking.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
