A South African court handed down a life sentence to a mother on Thursday after she was found guilty of trafficking her 6-year-old daughter, Joshlin, who remains unaccounted for. Racquel Smith, 35, exhibited no visible emotion as Judge Nathan Erasmus delivered the verdict in Saldanha Bay, a coastal town that has been the backdrop to the haunting case that has mesmerized and horrified the public.
Prosecutors revealed that Smith sold her daughter for 20,000 rand (approximately $1,100) while battling a drug addiction, and her actions have triggered a wave of outrage across the country. Alongside Smith, two other men, Jacquin Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn, were also sentenced to life in prison for their roles in the heinous crime.
The girl disappeared in February 2024, sparking an extensive community and police search, during which her image was disseminated by local and national media. Despite the high-profile coverage, Joshlin has not been found. The court proceedings were notably public, held in a community center and covered by major news outlets, as public interest in the chilling details of the case intensified.
During the trial, Smith along with her accomplices chose not to testify, further deepening the mystery surrounding Joshlin’s fate. After the convictions, Eric Ntabazalila from South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority emphasized the gravity of the case, underscoring the fact that while the mother was sentenced, the child remains missing.
The girl's paternal grandmother, Rita Yon, has voiced her anguish over the ongoing uncertainty regarding Joshlin's well-being. "We are still missing Joshlin," she lamented, expressing distress over the lack of information regarding the child’s situation. As the investigation continues, many questions linger, but Smith has remained tight-lipped, leaving a family and community without answers.
