Three individuals convicted in the disappearance of six-year-old Joshlin Smith have been handed life sentences for human trafficking, along with an additional 10 years each for kidnapping.
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Kelly ‘Racquel’ Smith Joshlin’s mother, her boyfriend Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn were all convicted and handed life sentences on Thursday morning.
The ruling, delivered by the Vredenburg Regional Court in the Western Cape on Thursday, brings a measure of justice in a case that has gripped the nation since Joshlin vanished from her home in Saldanha Bay earlier this year.
The court found overwhelming evidence proving their involvement in luring and removing Joshlin from her family under false pretences.
While Joshlin’s body has yet to be found, the prosecution argued that the accused had knowingly participated in a premeditated act of human trafficking, driven by profit. The 10-year sentences for kidnapping will run concurrently with the life sentences.
Joshlin’s disappearance shocked the country and sparked widespread searches, vigils, and public appeals. Her case has become a symbol of the growing crisis of missing children in South Africa.
Article originally published by Cape Town ETC.
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