CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The mother of a six-year-old girl who has been missing in South Africa for almost three weeks was arrested and charged Thursday with kidnapping and selling or trafficking her daughter, a shocking turn in a case. That has caught the nation's attention and sparked deep anger in the small, poor coastal community where the family lives.
The girl, Joslin Smith, has not yet been found and police renewed their call for “all citizens, all people” to help find her amid fears she may have been taken to another city or even out of the country. .
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In the days after Joslin disappeared last month, local media reported that neighbors had accused her mother of selling her for just over $1,000.
The discovery of a child's discarded clothing near Joslin's home last weekend heightened emotions.
Her mother, Kelly Smith, whose full name prosecutors say is Racquel Chantel Smith, has been charged with kidnapping and human trafficking along with three other people, two men and a woman. One of the men is Smith's boyfriend. She claimed that she left Joslin with him on February 19 while she went to work.
Joslin was reported missing that day.
The mother of missing 6-year-old Joslin Smith, Kelly Smith, appears in court in Vredenburg, South Africa, Thursday, March 7, 2024. Smith has been charged with kidnapping and selling or trafficking her daughter in a shocking turn in a case. That has captivated the country and provoked deep anger in the small, poor coastal community where the family lives.
The four suspects did not plead guilty to the charges and another court hearing was scheduled for next week. They will remain in custody, prosecutors said.
Joslin has not been found despite a major search operation involving police, firefighters, city authorities and specialized sniffer dog units around the family home near Saldanha Bay, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) away. ) north of Cape Town, on the west coast of South Africa. The national police minister visited the area and met Kelly Smith.
Police said a child's clothing was recovered last weekend near the settlement of small houses and shacks where Joslin lived. He was sent to a laboratory for forensic examination. Community members also involved in the search said blood was splattered on clothing and a knife was also found. The police did not provide further details about what was discovered.
Prosecutors said in court documents released Thursday that Kelly Smith and the others conspired to kidnap Joslin and intentionally sold, delivered or traded her. The suspects face a sentence of life in prison if convicted of the main charge of human trafficking.
The four suspects left the courthouse in Vredenburg, a town near Saldanha Bay, in an armored police van as a large crowd gathered outside, repeatedly chanting “Justice for Joslin.”
Western Cape provincial police commissioner Thembisile Patekile told reporters that more arrests could be made, but authorities also had to refocus on the search for Joslin.
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“Right now we don't have any children,” he said. “Our ultimate goal is to find the child. We still want to find him alive.”
Authorities have given different spellings for the girl's name. Police identified her as Joslin, while prosecutors named her as Joshlin in her documents. It was not immediately possible to verify the spelling of her name.
