Mum who sold 6-year-old daughter ‘for her eyes and skin’ gets life sentence

The sentences came more than one year after the child's disappearance.

Racquel 'Kelly' Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis were both sentenced to life in prison more than one year after Joshlin Smith's disappearance.

A six-week trial in Saldanha, South Africa heard that six-year-old Joshlin Smith had been sold to a traditional healer.

A witness in the trial alleged that Smith had spoken about selling her children for 20,000 rand (€990).

Another said the woman had planned to supply her daughter to a healer who wanted the young girl for her 'eyes and skin'.

Additionally, a local pastor alleged that Smith was willing to accept a lower figure of €242.

The young girl's fate wasn't confirmed, and following extensive search efforts that were launched after she went missing in February 2024, they are still yet to locate any trace of her.

Smith had received sympathy last year when her daughter went missing, with neighbours joining in huge searches for the missing child.

She claimed she left the girl with her boyfriend on the day she went missing and had not seen her since then.

Just last week, Judge Erasmus said Smith's conduct was not that of a 'concerned parent', and suggested that she 'knew' what had happened to her daughter.

"The conduct of ... Ms Smith is not that of a concerned parent. And why not? In my mind, the only inference is that you knew (what happened)," he said.

The courtroom applauded this week when Smith and her co-accused were given life sentences.

The judge said upon sentencing: "On the human trafficking charge, you are sentenced to life imprisonment. On the kidnapping charge, you are sentenced to 10 years imprisonment."

Amanda Smith-Daniels, the girl's grandmother made a final desperate plea to 'bring' her grandchild back.

The distraught woman told Newzroom Afrika she didn't feel 'any sentence they get will bring my grandchild back.'