A mother in South Africa has been apprehended and charged with the kidnapping and trafficking of her six-year-old daughter, who has been missing for nearly three weeks. The shocking development has incited outrage in the impoverished coastal region where the family originates. Authorities have urged all citizens to assist in the search for the young girl, Joslin Smith, amid fears that she may have been transported to another city or even another country as part of a human trafficking operation.
Shortly after Joslin’s disappearance, local residents suggested that the mother may have sold her child for approximately $1,000. The situation escalated last week when the child’s clothing, reportedly stained with blood and discarded near a knife, was discovered close to her home.
The mother, Racquel Chantel Smith, also known as Kelly Smith, has been charged with kidnapping and human trafficking. Three other individuals, two men and a woman, have also been implicated in the case. One of the men is Smith’s boyfriend, Jacquen Appollis. Smith alleges that she left her daughter with Appollis on February 19 while she was at work. Joslin was reported missing later that day.
According to reports, a search party of 300 South African naval officers, supplemented by drones and canine units, have been deployed to locate the missing girl. Despite the charges against her, Smith maintains her belief that her daughter will be found. She has been quoted as saying, “My motherly instincts are telling me my daughter is still alive and in this area. We will find her, I will walk on foot to find her. I will look in every little shack, I’m going to do it by myself if I have to.”
Prosecutors allege that the four adults conspired to abduct Joslin and intentionally sold, delivered, or exchanged her. If found guilty, all suspects face potential life sentences. Thembisile Patekile, the Western Cape province police commissioner, has indicated that additional arrests may be forthcoming. However, the primary focus of the authorities remains on locating Joslin as quickly as possible. Patekile stated, “At this stage, we do not have a child. Our ultimate goal is to find the child. We still want to find that child alive.”