A SOUTH African woman has been found guilty of human trafficking and kidnapping after allegedly selling her six-year-old daughter, who has been missing for over a year. The verdict, delivered on Friday in the coastal town of Saldanha Bay, has shaken the nation and drawn widespread public outrage.
According to AFP, Judge Nathan Erasmus ruled that Racquel ‘Kelly’ Smith, 35, along with her boyfriend and a mutual friend, trafficked and kidnapped her daughter, Joshlin Smith, who disappeared in February 2024. The girl has not been seen since.
‘You are guilty of… trafficking in persons in relation to Joshlin Smith. On count two, you are also convicted of kidnapping,’ Erasmus said as he delivered the verdict. Sentencing is pending, with the convicted trio facing possible life imprisonment.
A case that gripped the nation
The trial, held over two months in a local community hall, exposed harrowing details that have horrified South Africans. Once seen as a grieving mother, Smith’s image shifted dramatically after prosecutors revealed that she allegedly sold Joshlin to a traditional healer for 20,000 rand (around $1,085).
The transaction was allegedly motivated by interest in the child’s striking green eyes and light complexion. Prosecutors said Smith treated her daughter as a ‘commodity’, a finding echoed by the judge. ‘Joshlin was exchanged,’ Erasmus said bluntly in court. ‘The evidence is from all scores — there were payments, or at least the promise of payments.’
Public outcry and heartbreak
Smith, who has two other children, did not testify in her defence, nor did her co-accused. During the investigation, her composure and lack of urgency in the search efforts raised suspicion among those close to the case. Witnesses, including the child’s teacher and a local pastor, testified that Smith had discussed plans to sell Joshlin as early as 2023.
Photos of Joshlin — showing her bright smile, pigtails, and striking eyes — were circulated nationwide, sparking an outpouring of support and efforts to locate her. Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie even offered a one-million-rand ($54,000) reward for her return.
Outside the courtroom in Saldanha Bay, located about 135 kilometres (80 miles) north of Cape Town, crowds gathered for Friday’s verdict. As Judge Erasmus announced the guilty ruling, a wave of applause broke out from the public, who had been following the case closely and had taken part in police-led searches across the impoverished coastal community.
Despite the conviction, Joshlin remains missing. Her fate is still unknown, and calls for answers continue to echo from those who searched day and night to bring her home.
