A South African mother accused of kidnapping and selling her six-year-old daughter has sparked national outrage as her trial began Monday in Saldanha Bay.
Kelly Smith, whose full name is Racquel Chantel Smith, faces charges of kidnapping and human trafficking alongside her partner, Jacquin Appollis, and friend, Steveno van Rhyn. The three pleaded not guilty in a sports hall packed with community members demanding justice for the missing girl, Joshlin Smith.
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Prosecutors allege that Smith plotted to sell Joshlin and her two other children for payment as far back as August 2023. Joshlin disappeared in February 2024, and despite a nationwide search, she remains missing. “We want Joshlin back,” chanted crowds outside the courtroom, expressing anger at the betrayal and horror of a mother allegedly trading her own child.
The case took a dark turn when police arrested Smith after questioning her. According to the indictment, Smith and Joshlin were last seen getting into a white vehicle with a bag of clothes on the day of the disappearance. Judge Nathan Erasmus warned that if convicted, the defendants could face life in prison.
