'Joshlin has made me famous', missing girl's mother told police

“My child Joshlin has made me famous.”

These were the words uttered by the missing six-year-old girl's mother Racquel Chantel Smith during her initial interactions with the police, according to testimony heard on the fourth day of her kidnapping and human trafficking trial.

“What worried me is that she indicated that the child has made her famous, which is concerning to hear from a parent,” Saldhana Bay station commander Col Lyndon Sebola told the high court.

He first met Smith on February 20 last year after being told Joshlin was missing and said there had been an extensive search for her that continued until March.

Sebola said various units including public order policing (POP), local police, members of the family violence, child protection and sexual offences (FCS) unit, the local community and police from Cape Town were involved in the search.

Wearing an orange top with an updo hairstyle, Smith sat with arms folded listening to the evidence being presented at the multipurpose centre in the West coast town. At times she took notes.

Evidence was presented about efforts to arrange accommodation for Smith to coincide with a visit by former police minister Bheki Cele.

However, she was not satisfied because it could only house women and insisted on being with her boyfriend and co-accused Jacquin “Boeta” Appollis.

Sebola said alternative accommodation was then arranged for the couple which had been offered by a resident of Diazville.

Sebola confirmed she had not made any request for her other two children to stay with her.

The trial continues. 

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