South African Woman Bags Life Jail for Selling 6-Year-Old Daughter

A South African court has sentenced a woman, Kelly Smith, to life imprisonment for selling her 6-year-old daughter, Joshlin, who remains missing. Smith’s boyfriend, Jacquen Appollis, and another man, Steveno van Rhyn, received the same sentence for their roles in the kidnapping and human trafficking.

The trio was convicted earlier this month, with the court hearing testimony that Joshlin was sold for approximately $1,000 to a traditional healer who wanted the child for her body parts. The judge ruled that Joshlin was sold for slavery or practices similar to slavery, but did not specify who she was sold to or her current whereabouts.

The case began when Joshlin went missing in February 2024, prompting a nationwide search by police. Smith initially garnered sympathy from the community, but was later arrested and charged in connection with her daughter’s disappearance.