In a heart-wrenching case that has gripped South Africa and drawn international outrage, a South African mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, was on Friday convicted of human trafficking and kidnapping after being found guilty of selling her six-year-old daughter, Joshlin Smith, who has been missing since February 2024.
The Western Cape High Court, temporarily relocated to a community hall in the small fishing town of Saldanha Bay due to public interest, delivered the damning verdict following a rigorous two-month trial. Judge Nathan Erasmus, presiding over the case, ruled that overwhelming evidence provided by 35 state witnesses proved Smith sold her daughter for R20,000 (approximately $1,085).
“Joshlin was exchanged,” Judge Erasmus affirmed, adding that the evidence pointed to financial transactions and disturbing negotiations, painting the mother as someone who viewed her own child as a “commodity.”
Joshlin Smith, who was just six years old at the time of her disappearance, remains missing more than a year later. Her case had initially sparked an outpouring of sympathy across South Africa. Her photograph, featuring her striking green eyes and braided pigtails, circulated widely on social media and in news reports, fueling public calls for her safe return.
But public support quickly turned to outrage when state prosecutors accused Smith of selling her daughter to a traditional healer, who allegedly expressed interest in the girl’s eye color and fair complexion—disturbing motives that stirred racial and ritualistic fears in the nation.
Two co-accused—a man identified as Smith’s boyfriend and another mutual friend—were also found guilty on charges of human trafficking and kidnapping. All three now await sentencing, which could result in life imprisonment.
The trial’s location in Saldanha Bay, 135 kilometers north of Cape Town, brought the community into close contact with the legal process. Outside the courtroom, crowds of angry residents gathered during each session, chanting slogans such as “We want Joshlin back,” while holding posters and wearing T-shirts demanding justice.
Friday’s guilty verdict was met with applause and tears from onlookers, many of whom had joined law enforcement in the early days of the search, scouring bushes, beaches, and nearby settlements for signs of the missing child.
“We feel betrayed. She was supposed to protect her,” said one local resident who had volunteered during the search campaign.
The court proceedings revealed shocking details. A teacher and a local pastor both testified that Smith had discussed selling her daughter as early as 2023. The teacher claimed Smith made troubling remarks about not needing “three mouths to feed,” while the pastor testified that Smith confided in him about a plan to sell her child for spiritual purposes.
Adding to the outrage, the court heard that Smith remained “unusually calm and emotionally detached” throughout the intensive search effort for Joshlin. Prosecutors emphasized her lack of urgency and apparent disinterest, further casting suspicion on her involvement from the outset.
The case attracted nationwide attention, prompting prominent figures, including South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, to offer a R1 million ($54,000) reward for information leading to Joshlin’s return. Despite this, no substantial leads have emerged on the girl’s whereabouts.
Human rights organizations and child protection groups have called for urgent reforms in child welfare monitoring, especially in impoverished communities where economic desperation can create vulnerabilities to trafficking networks.
Judge Erasmus has adjourned the court pending sentencing, which may include life imprisonment under South Africa’s anti-trafficking legislation. Legal analysts say this conviction could serve as a landmark case for prosecuting domestic human trafficking and parental complicity.
Despite the conviction, Joshlin Smith remains missing. Authorities have appealed to the public to continue providing tips and leads that might help locate the child. Police say the case remains open and active, with several search efforts still underway in the Western Cape region.
The Joshlin Smith case has become a painful symbol of the dangers many children face in South Africa’s marginalized communities. Activists are urging the government to not only bring justice to Joshlin’s case but also to address the systemic socio-economic conditions that often lead to child exploitation.
As sentencing approaches, the nation holds its breath, hoping that justice will not only be served in the courtroom but also through the eventual recovery of Joshlin—alive or not.