Joslin Smith: Jacquin Appollis’ Lawyer Blames Drugs for His Actions

• The lawyer for Jacquin Appolis, who was found guilty of kidnapping and trafficking Joslin Smith, blamed his actions on drugs
• Appollis and his co-accused, Kelly Smith and Steveno Van Rhyn, are expected to be sentenced on 29 May 2025 for their role in the disappearance of Joslin
• His lawyer said that his intoxicated state did not mean that he was remorseful, but South Africans did not believe him

With 10 years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics, and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

SALDANHA BAY, WESTERN CAPE — The lawyer of Jacquin Appollis, one of the trio who were found guilty of kidnapping and trafficking Joslin Smith, pleaded on 28 May 2025 that the courts consider that drugs influenced his actions. South Africans refused to believe him.

Jacquin Appollis was high: lawyer

Appollis and his co-accused, Steveno Van Rhyn and Kelly Smith, Joslin's mother, appeared before the Western Cape High Court sitting at the White City Multipurpose Centre in Saldanha Bay during sentencing mitigation proceedings. His lawyer, Fannie Harmse, said that Applliss was not thinking logically because he was intoxicated on drugs.

Appollis was not involved: Harmse

Harmse added that Appollis was not involved in Smith's disappearance. He added that his illogical state of mind can be assumed and accepted. The prosecutor of the case argued that life imprisonment is the appropriate sentence. She also requested that the court make a finding that all three accused be entered into the Child Protection Register.

Victim impact read in court

The court also heard victim impact statements from members of the community and Joslin's grandmother, Amanda Smith-Daniels. A member of the community said she could not stop looking for her when she went missing in February 2024, despite being fatigued and emotionally drained.

What you need to know about Joslin Smith's case

• Kelly Smith's home was set alight on 2 May 2025 after the court found her guilty of kidnapping and human trafficking
• Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie officially launched a foundation in Joslin Smith's name to assist families of missing children across SA
• The founder of a Mitchell's Plain-based NGO, Veranique Williams, appealed to Kelly to reveal Joslin's whereabouts
• Judge Nathan Erasmus is expected to hold a separate hearing to determine whether state witness Lourentia Lombaard should be granted immunity
• A social worker described Van Rhyn as a menace to society, with no sympathy for what happened to Joslin

South Africans refuse to believe Appollis

Netiens' comments on SABC News' Facebook post were livid and questioned Appollis's statement.

Jolette Treurnicht asked:

"So why not tell the court what happened to Joslin?"

Sad MJ Jones said:

"He told the court that his client did not participate in the sale of Joslin. He must say who was involved."

Moira Kok said:

"Very strange claim, because there are a lot of drug addicts and I don't see them in court for selling children because of their drug abuse."

Jean Novukela said:

"So now the lawyer is admitting that he is part and parcel of Joslin's disappearance."

Marius Nel said:

"These three are playing games."

16 000 kidnapped in SA annually

South Africa is facing a sharp rise in kidnapping cases, with Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) revealing that women and children make up 85% of the victims.

According to the 2023/2024 South African Police Service crime stats, 4,300 kidnappings were reported between July and September alone. In the final quarter of 2023, 293 children and 881 women were murdered.

The Sunday Independent reported last month that international 2023 figures placed South Africa at the top of the list for kidnappings in Africa, with a rate of 9.57 per 100,000 people.

Kelly Smith's mother slams her daughter

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Kelly's mother slammed her in a victim statement that the court read out during migration proceedings. She blasted her and accused her of making their lives a living hell.

Smith-Daniels said that Kelly's son was bullied in school because of the case. She also asked her how she felt on Mother's Day and called her a liar.

Source: Briefly News