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Joshlin Smith Trial Concludes with Guilty Verdicts — But Child Still Missing
More than a year after six-year-old Joshlin Smith vanished from her home in Middelpos, Saldanha, her whereabouts remain unknown — despite guilty verdicts being handed down in the high-profile trial linked to her disappearance.
On Friday, Judge Nathan Erasmus delivered judgment at the Western Cape High Court, sitting at the White City Multi-purpose Centre in Saldanha. Joshlin’s mother, Kelly Smith, along with co-accused Jacquen Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn, were found guilty of kidnapping and human trafficking.
The verdict marked the end of nearly three months of court proceedings that gripped the Saldanha Bay community and the country at large. Residents packed the community hall for the judgment, erupting in applause and cheers as the guilty rulings were read out.
Joshlin Smith is still Missing!
Yet, despite the legal outcome, one devastating truth remains unchanged: Joshlin Smith is still missing.
She was just six years old when she disappeared in February last year, and efforts to locate her have thus far been unsuccessful. Authorities have offered no new leads on her whereabouts, and the case continues to haunt the Saldanha community.
The court’s decision brings some measure of justice — but not closure, as the search for Joshlin continues.
Kelly Smith, Steveno Van Rhyn & Jacquen Appollis will hear their fates today in the Joshlin Smith Trial. The accused are charged with kidnapping & human trafficking for Joshlin’s disappearance. CP pic.twitter.com/K5YOCbMXW9
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) May 2, 2025
Saldanha Bay residents are making their way into the White City Multi-purpose Center, where Judge Nathan Erasmus is set to make his judgment in the Joshlin Smith trial. The little girl’s mother Kelly Smith and two co-accused are charged with kidnapping and human trafficking. CP pic.twitter.com/g4MHrB87Tc
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) May 2, 2025
Source – EWN
In More News – EFF Plans Protest at Controversial Kleinfontein Settlement
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are expected to descend on the controversial Kleinfontein settlement near Pretoria on Friday, as part of a planned protest against what they describe as ongoing racial segregation.
Located in the eastern part of the capital, Kleinfontein has drawn widespread criticism for its exclusivist policies that mirror those of Orania in the Northern Cape. The settlement, which identifies itself as a bastion of Afrikaner culture, has long faced scrutiny for operating as a de facto whites-only enclave. Read More