In South Africa, a woman has been sentenced to life in prison for selling her six-year-old daughter. Racquel Chantel Smith, along with her boyfriend, Jacquen Appollis, and another man, Steveno van Rhyn, have been handed life sentences by Judge Nathan Erasmus. Reports indicate that the court, convened at a sports center in the town of Saldanha Bay, found them guilty of kidnapping and human trafficking charges earlier this month.
The child, Joshlin, vanished in February 2024, triggering a nationwide search by South African law enforcement. Despite extensive efforts, she remains missing. The sentences for Smith, Appollis, and van Rhyn included life terms for human trafficking and an additional 10 years for kidnapping.
This development follows earlier reports that Smith initially gained sympathy when her daughter went missing. Community members rallied around her in the search for Joshlin. However, a shocking twist unfolded when Smith was arrested. According to reliable sources, testimony revealed during the trial claimed Smith had disclosed selling her daughter to a traditional healer for around $1000.
Smith’s arrest and subsequent conviction occurred in the context of a poor neighborhood of shacks near Saldanha Bay, some 120 kilometers north of Cape Town. The local community’s involvement in the trial, including its relocation to a local sports center to allow public attendance, underscores the significance that this case has assumed.
The judge’s verdict did not make any conclusions on the identity of the purchaser or the exact fate of the child, but the evidence suggests she was sold into a form of slavery. This raises important questions about child trafficking within the country.
