South African Woman, Boyfriend Convicted of Selling Daughter to Ritualist for $1,000
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — A deeply disturbing case that has gripped South Africa reached a turning point on Friday, as a Cape Town court found a mother and two men guilty of kidnapping and trafficking her six-year-old daughter, Joshlin Smith, who vanished in February 2024 and remains missing.
Racquel Chantel Smith, also known as Kelly Smith, along with her boyfriend, Jacquin Appollis, and an associate, Steveno van Rhyn, were convicted of abducting and selling the young girl, reportedly for ritual purposes. The court heard harrowing testimony, including a witness who stated that Smith admitted to selling Joshlin to a traditional healer for 20,000 South African rand — roughly $1,085.
Initially perceived as a grieving mother desperate to find her missing daughter, Smith received an outpouring of public sympathy. Community members in Saldanha Bay — a coastal town approximately 120 kilometers north of Cape Town — had rallied in large numbers to search for Joshlin, whose innocent face and pigtails became a haunting symbol shared widely in the media.
That perception shifted dramatically as police investigations unfolded. Shocking details emerged, including confessions and evidence linking Smith and the others to the girl’s disappearance. Although the court was unable to confirm who ultimately took custody of the child or what her fate was, the implication of ritual trafficking sent waves of anger and sorrow through the country.
So many residents wanted to witness the verdict that the trial had to be held in a local sports facility to accommodate the crowd. As Judge Nathan Erasmus announced the convictions, the room erupted in cheers — a rare moment of collective relief amid tragedy.
Smith and her co-defendants face the possibility of life imprisonment, with sentencing expected to begin next week.
