Kidnapping, human trafficking case of missing Joshlin Smith heads to high court in Cape Town

The mother of missing six-year-old Joshlin Smith appeared emotional in the dock at the Vredenburg magistrate’s court, which heard on Monday the case will be transferred to the high court in Cape Town.

Racquel Chantel Smith, known as Kelly, her boyfriend Jacquin “Boeta” Appollis and friend Steveno van Rhyn face charges of kidnapping and human trafficking.  

The court heard charges were withdrawn against the fourth accused, Lourentia Lombaard. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the state intended to use her as a witness during the trial.

Smith reported her daughter's disappearance from home at the Middelpos informal settlement in Saldanha Bay on February 19. She told police Joshlin had, at the time, been left in the care of Appollis while she was at work.

An extensive search involving Interpol that extended beyond South Africa's borders has yielded no trace of the missing child.

According to the indictment, Kelly allegedly made it known in August 2023 that she planned to have her three children taken away or sold in January or February 2024.

“On Sunday February 18, [Kelly] and Joshlin walked to a white motor vehicle parked nearby. An unknown female alighted from the vehicle and conversed with [Kelly]. This woman handed something to [Kelly]. [Kelly] and Joshlin returned home,” reads the indictment.

“Later that day, Jacquin, Steveno, Kelly and Lourentia discussed the plan and how the money would be divided.”

Kelly told Joshlin and her older sibling the next day they would not be going to school. Kelly allegedly packed Joshlin’s clothes into a bag and left to go to work. Lourentia, Jacquin and Steveno allegedly “smoked” at Kelly's home in Middelpos the next day until she arrived home, fetched Joshlin and the bag of clothes and left.

The indictment said the mother and daughter got into a white vehicle which then drove away. “Later the same night [Kelly] started looking for Joshlin and reported her missing to the police. Despite ongoing investigations into the whereabouts of Joshlin she has still not been found.”

The state alleges that at all times and places mentioned in the charges the accused had a common purpose and acted together to achieve that purpose, namely, to commit the offences embodied in the charges.

The accused will remain in custody while awaiting a pretrial hearing at the high court on January 31. 

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