Racquel “Kelly” Smith has been sentenced to life imprisonment for kidnapping and trafficking her six-year-old daughter, Joshlin Smith, who vanished in February 2024 and remains missing.
Joshlin’s disappearance from her home in Saldanha Bay, a quiet fishing town north of Cape Town, initially sparked national sympathy and a high-profile search.
But the case took a shocking turn when evidence emerged that her own mother had sold her to a traditional healer for 20,000 rand ($1,100), allegedly due to the child’s striking green eyes and fair complexion.
Western Cape High Court Judge Nathan Erasmus handed life sentences to Smith, her boyfriend, and a mutual friend for human trafficking, along with concurrent 10-year terms for kidnapping.
“There is nothing redeeming I can find that warrants a lesser sentence,” Erasmus declared, noting the group’s drug use did not excuse their actions.
Throughout the hour-long sentencing, Smith, 35, remained expressionless. Her lack of remorse was noted by the judge, who described her as “manipulative.”
Her name, along with those of her accomplices, will be added to South Africa’s child protection register.
The courtroom erupted in cheers after the verdict. Joshlin’s grandmother, Amanda Smith Daniels, was present, wearing a shirt printed with the child’s photo.
Authorities have expanded the search for Joshlin beyond South Africa, though hope of finding her alive is fading.
Meanwhile, the nation continues to confront its rising tide of child kidnappings, which totaled over 17,000 last year alone.
