A six-year-old South African girl who went missing last year was allegedly sold to a traditional healer by her mother, who wanted the young girl for her “eyes and skin colour.” Kelly Smith was convicted on Friday, May 2, of trafficking her daughter, Joshlin Smith – who went missing in February 2024, Reuters reported. Smith’s boyfriend, Jacquen Appollis, and the couple’s friend, Steveno van Rhyn, were also found guilty on kidnapping and trafficking charges.
Joshlin – who has a fair complexion and blue-green eyes disappeared from her home near Cape Town, sending shockwaves across South Africa.
During the trial, Smith’s neighbour, Lourentia Lombaard, testified that the mother admitted she had “done something silly” and had “sold my child to a sangoma.” Lombaard also told the court that Smith allegedly offered money to her and others who were aware of the plan to sell Joshlin, in an attempt to buy their silence, according to the BBC.
According to the outlet, Joshlin’s teacher also testified in court, stating that when she asked about Joshlin’s whereabouts, Smith claimed the child was “on a ship, inside a container, headed to West Africa.”
The outlet reported on Friday that Smith broke down in tears as the guilty verdict was announced, while most people in the courtroom erupted in applause in response to the court’s decision.