Kelly Smith Sentenced to Life for Role in Daughter Joshlin’s Disappearance
Kelly Smith Sentencing.
In a deeply emotional and widely followed case, Racquel “Kelly” Smith was sentenced to life imprisonment by Judge Nathan Erasmus in the Western Cape High Court in Saldanha Bay on Thursday, 29 May 2025. The sentencing comes after Smith was found guilty of kidnapping and trafficking her six-year-old daughter, Joshlin Smith, who went missing in February 2024.
Smith was not alone in facing justice. Her co-accused, Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn, were also handed life sentences. All three were additionally sentenced to 10 years for kidnapping, to be served concurrently with their life sentences.
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What is Kelly Smith conviction?
The court found that Kelly Smith, battling a substance addiction, had orchestrated the sale of her daughter to a traditional healer in a desperate attempt to fuel her drug habit. The details of the case shocked the nation, with evidence revealing a calculated and callous disregard for the young girl’s life.
Despite the convictions, Joshlin Smith remains missing. This fact has only deepened the pain for those closely following the case and for the community of Saldanha Bay. During sentencing, powerful victim impact statements were shared, including one from Smith’s own mother, Amanda Daniels. In her letter, Daniels expressed heartbreak and outrage, accusing Kelly of causing “hell on earth” for her family and of failing to tell the truth about Joshlin’s fate.
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The case has sparked nationwide outrage and grief, prompting renewed calls for greater child protection measures and accountability. As the country comes to terms with the outcome, one question still haunts everyone: Where is Joshlin?
Authorities and the public continue to urge anyone with information to come forward, as the search for answers—and for Joshlin—remains far from over.
