South Africa: Life for Kidnappers of Joshlin, 6, ‘Bittersweet’
The Western Cape High Court has sentenced Joshlin Smith’s mother, Kelly Smith, along with co-accused Jacquen Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn, to life imprisonment for kidnapping and human trafficking her six-year-old daughter. Joshlin went missing in February 2024 from her home in Saldanha Bay.
The judge also ordered that the names of three accused be entered into the national Child Protection Register since they were convicted of serious crimes involving children.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the sentencing is bittersweet, as efforts to uncover the truth and locate Joshlin continue.
