Cape Town – In the ongoing sentencing of Kelly Smith, Jacquen Appollis, and Steveno van Rhyn — convicted of kidnapping and human trafficking in connection with missing girl Joshlin Smith — a human trafficking expert testified that there’s sufficient evidence to suggest Joshlin may have been harmed after being sold for financial gain.
Sentencing began on Tuesday at the Western Cape High Court, sitting in the Saldanha Bay Multipurpose Centre.
Expert witness Dr Marcel van der Watt, with 20 years’ experience in the field, submitted a report highlighting consistent patterns of severe harm to trafficking victims, particularly young girls.
He testified that, although Joshlin has not been found, the evidence strongly suggests she suffered abuse — likely physical or psychological —based on patterns seen in similar cases and references to her appearance.
Human Trafficking in South Africa: Key Insights from Dr. Marcel van der Watt
Human trafficking in South Africa is far more entrenched and complex than commonly reported. In a groundbreaking 2022 technical report, Dr. Marcel van der Watt, research fellow at the University of the… pic.twitter.com/pprz6Ub6OP
— Hidden Hand Chronicles (@HddnHndChroncls) May 27, 2025
“Well-documented and coherent and consistent themes and patterns in terms of the egregious harms that befall victims of trafficking, especially when we’re talking about young girl children, the age of Joshlin,” EWN quoted Van der Watt as saying.
He told the court that between 2000 and 2020, over 94,000 people were reported missing in South Africa, with more than 31,000 still unaccounted for.
Van der Watt said the Joshlin was likely sold by her own mother for exploitation in a premeditated and coordinated crime.
Kelly Smith’s role in orchestrating her daughter Joshlin’s exploitation, for financial gain, is an abuse of trust that worsens the offence. That’s the view of a US based human trafficking expert. #SouthAfricaTonight #DStv403 #QuestionThinkAct pic.twitter.com/FPfgJpRqp0
— eNCA (@eNCA) May 27, 2025
He emphasised the serious breach of duty by the accused and painted a grim picture of what Joshlin may have endured, calling it disingenuous to assume she wasn’t harmed, Times Live reported.
“It is highly unlikely that Joshlin did not endure at least some form of harm. The mention of the physical traits such as her eyes and light coloured skin suggests she may have been subjected to exploitation …
“It would be disingenuous to assume that she was placed in such a situation merely for admiration,” he said as Smith, wearing a grey hoodie, scratched her nose.
“The evidence relating to… child abuse paints a grim picture and it is very plausible that Joshlin experienced severe abuse, either physical or psychological harm.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
