Key witness in Joshlin’s case now a free woman

The key state witness in the Joshlin Smith’s disappearance case, Laurentia Lombaard is now a free woman, after the Western Cape High Court granted her immunity.

Lombaard who turned state witness was initially arrested with the 6-year-old’s mother alongside two other co-accused.

She played a crucial role in the state’s case, which saw the conviction of Joshlin’s mother and her accomplices.

Joshlin’s mother, Kelly, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and Steven van Rhys have each been sentenced to life imprisonment and an additional ten years for kidnapping and human trafficking.

Lombaard who has been in witness protection, gave chilling evidence, revealing to the court how they planned Joshlin’s disappearance.

The little girl went missing at her home in Saldanha Bay in February last year.

She detailed to the court how Kelly told her that she sold Joshlin for R20,000 and promised to share the money amongst them.

Lombaard claimed that the little girl was sold to a Sangoma for her skin and blue eyes. She also gave evidence of excessive drug use between her and the accused.

Handing down the ruling today in the Western Cape High Court, Judge Nathan Erasmus, said Lombaard played no active role in the trafficking and kidnapping of Joshlin.

In the same sitting, Judge Erasmus dismissed the convicted trio’s application for leave to appeal their sentences.

The judge said there was no compelling reason to grant the convicts leave to appeal.

He added that, the court made factual findings and drew inferences from circumstantial evidence.

“It is clear that it can never be said that a sentence of life imprisonment, in particular on count one, on the human trafficking of a child, where life imprisonment is imposed, where persons have shown no remorse, would be shockingly inappropriate,” he said.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has made it clear that it will oppose any further legal challenge that the trio will bring.

Despite the convictions, Joshlin Smith’s whereabouts remain unknown.