Key Facts

• A South African woman named Racquel "Kelly" Smith, along with her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and friend Steveno van Rhyn, received life sentences.
• They were found guilty of kidnapping and trafficking Smith's six-year-old daughter, Joshlin Smith.
• The child has been missing since February 2024 from Saldanha Bay, near Cape Town.
• Despite extensive searches, Joshlin has not been found.
• The trial lasted six weeks and attracted significant public attention in South Africa.
• Judge Nathan Erasmus sentenced all three to life imprisonment for human trafficking and 10 years for kidnapping.
• Community members expressed strong feelings, calling for strict punishment for the offenders.