Calls for Kelly Smith To Divulge Joslin’s Location Mount As She Awaits Her Sentencing

• Convicted human trafficker Kelly Smith is awaiting her sentence after she was found guilty of kidnapping and human trafficking
• Her daughter, Joslin, went missing in February 2024, and her boyfriend and their associate, Steveno Van Rhyn, were arrested a month later
• Save the Children called for the maximum penalty and has questioned why Kelly has not revealed Joslin's whereabouts

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered criminal activities, cash-in-transit heists, kidnappings, taxi violence, police investigations, police shootouts and court cases at Daily Sun for over three years.

SALDANHA BAY — Save the Children has called on Kelly Smith, who is expected to be sentenced on 27 May 2025 after she was convicted of kidnapping and human trafficking, to be given the maximum sentence. The organisation has questioned why Kelly Smith has not revealed where Joslin Smith is.

Save the Children calls for life sentence for Kelly

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According to SABC News, the organisation said there were compelling reasons to hand Smith a life sentence. Smith will learn of her fate at the Western Cape High Court in Saldanha Bay, Western Cape. The organisation's programme director, Megan Breide, said that Kelly, her co-accused Steveno Van Rhyn, and Jacquin Appolis have not revealed where Joslin is.

Breide also said Joslin's age and Kelly's intent must be considered. She slammed Kelly and accused her of not wanting to reveal where Joslin was. Breide pointed out that she, instead, had chosen not to reveal where Joslin was.

Trio found guilty of human trafficking

Judge Nathan Erasmus found Kelly and her co-accused guilty after the Western Cape High Court held the trial at the White City Community Centre in Saldanha Bay. The trial lasted for over two months, and one of the suspects, Lourentia Lombaard, was called as a state witness.

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Lombaard testified that Kelly sold her daughter to a sangoma for R20,000 and shared the money with her co-accused. She also said that the group planned to sell her daughter in 2023. The court also heard testimonies from Kelly's sister and a former employee. Kelly, Van Rhyn, and Appolis refused to testify.

What you need to know about the Joslin Smith trial

• Patriotic Alliance president Gayton McKenzie pledged to continue the search for Joslin after Kelly, Appolis, and Van Rhyn were found guilty
• Judge Erasmus is set to rule on Lombaard's indemnity and to determine where her testimony was credible enough to grant her immunity from prosecution
• Kelly's Middelpos home was torched after she was found guilty of trafficking and kidnapping
• The South African Police Service dug under the Middlepos home for the remains of Joslin
• Monique Kekana admitted to burning Smith's home on national television, and her confession amused South Africa

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Judge Erasmus annoyed at convicted trio's late arrival

In a recent article, Briefly News reported that Judge Erasmus was visibly irritated that Smith, Van Rhyn and Appollis arrived in court one hour late. This was after they appeared on 23 May to determine how sentencing would proceed.

Erasmus asked the police officer who had transported the convicted to court what had caused the delay. He said there was a delay at the prison, and Erasmus said he would investigate the cause.

Source: Briefly News