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News

Joshlin’s case described as a story of betrayal

todayMay 29, 2025 122

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Advocacy manager for Women and Men Against Child Abuse, Luke Lamprecht, says the Joshlin Smith’s mother, Kelly, saw her child as a commodity or burden, rather than a loved family member.

Lamprecht’s remarks come after the Western Cape High Court, sitting in Saldanha Bay, sentenced Joshlin’s mother Kelly, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and friend Steveno van Rhyn to life imprisonment for human trafficking and 10 years for kidnapping – respectively.

The then six-year-old went missing in February last year, in the Middelpos Informal Settlement in Saldanha Bay.

In a scathing sentence, Judge Nathan Erasmus reiterated that the trio showed no remorse throughout the trial –  adding that the Saldhana Bay community has been fractured because of their actions.

Despite the convictions, the young girl remains missing.

The sentence also comes as the country marks Child Protection week.

Speaking to YNews, Lamprecht says Kelly failed her child, who saw her as a protector.

 

Lamprecht says even though they welcome the sentence, justice will only be served the day Joshlin is found.

He says it is heartbreaking to see ‘parents’ treat their child like a ‘thing’ that she should be sold.

 

Judge Erasmus also ordered that the names of all the three people involved in Joshlin’s disappearance be entered into the child protection register, which means they can never be allowed to work with children in the future.

The Saldhana community had come out in their numbers ahead of the sentence, calling for the harshest sentence to be imposed.

Joshlin’s family was also present, with her grandmothers in tears when the sentence was handed down.

They have called on Kelly to reveal where the child is, vowing to never stop looking for the young girl.

On Wednesday, Kelly’s mother Amanda Daniels in her victim impact statement said her daughter’s actions broke their hearts and made their lives hell.

Daniels accused Kelly of lying about what happened with Joshlin, saying she failed as a mother.

 

The case got international attention because of the callousness and severity that was revealed, especially the fact that the child was possibly sold for her skin and eyes.

A friend who turned state witness, Laurentia Lombard, revealed this during her testimony in the trial, which started in March. According to her, Joshlin was sold for R20 000.

Lombard also said she witnessed Kelly take Joshlin to a woman in a white VW Polo, who then handed Kelly something that she stuck into the front of her pants.

She said Kelly told her she had sold her child because she was struggling and needed the money.

Clinical Director at the Teddy Bear Foundation, Dr Shaheda Omar, says as much as this sentence will deter others from involving themselves in the same situation, it doesn’t change the fact that the child is still missing.

Omar says the trio not showing remorse tells the nation that it’s dealing with sociopaths who only think of themselves.

Written by: Nonhlanhla Harris

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