Joslin Smith Trial: Judge Nathan Erasmus Rules That Accused’s Statements May Be Admitted as Evidence
- Judge Nathan Erasmus has made a decisive ruling in the trial of the disappearance of Joslin Smith
- Erasmus ruled that statements made by Jacquin Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn may be used as evidence
- The two accused claimed that police tortured them into providing false statements, and told them what to say
Source: Getty Images
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent ten years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
WESTERN CAPE – The trial of the disappearance of Joslin Smith has reached a new turning point as Judge Nathan Erasmus has issued a decisive ruling.
Erasmus ruled on 17 April 2025 that statements made by Jacquin Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn may be admitted into evidence and can be used as evidence in the main trial.
Appollis and van Rhyn, along with Kelly Smith, are charged with kidnapping and human trafficking and are appearing in the Saldanha Bay Multipurpose Centre, where the case is being held.
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Erasmus rules that statements may be considered as evidence
Following a lengthy trial-within-a-trial, in which the state and defence both called witnesses and presented their arguments, the judge ruled that the statements could be admitted as evidence.
The statements, which van Rhyn and Apollis both made to police officers in 2024, detailed another version of what happened to the little Saldanha Bay girl who went missing on 19 February 2024.
In the statements, both men claimed that Kelly told them to take Joslin to Makalima. Makalima is reportedly related to Ayanda Letoni, the boyfriend of the former accused, Lourentia Lombaard. They also stated that Makalima and Kelly had discussed a fee for the child.
Van Rhyn and Appollis both claimed that they were tortured by police into making the statements and even claimed that police fed them the story to tell. Erasmus added that while the evidence was admitted, he was careful not to refer to it as an admission of guilt or a confession.
“You would have noted that I have not referred to the statements, either as confessions or as admissions. I do that deliberately as I do not want to create the impression that I have prejudged the issue,” he said.
He added that there might be a lot of water under the bridge at the moment, but that there might be more storms coming.
Source: Getty Images
What you need to know about the Joslin Smith trial
- Lourencia Lombaard claimed that a sangoma wanted Joslin for her eyes and skin
- Defence lawyer Fanie Erasmus picked holes in Lombaard’s testimony during cross-examination
- Advocate Rinesh Sivnarain accused Lombaard of being the mastermind behind Joslin’s disappearance
- Gayton McKenzie accuses the Saldanha Bay Mayor of being involved in Joslin Smith’s disappearance
- A State witness denied that Appollis and van Rhyn were assaulted by police officers
Appollis was accused of lying by the prosecutor
Briefly News also reported that Appollis was accused of lying by a prosecutor when he was cross-examined on 11 April 2025.
His version of events was questioned by the prosecutor, who noted that he changed some of the details in his story.
The prosecutor slammed him, and South Africans also called him a liar, accusing him of withholding the truth about Joslin Smith.
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Source: Briefly News
