In a ruling that has gripped and horrified South Africa, a court on Thursday sentenced Racquel Smith to life imprisonment for the trafficking and kidnapping of her six-year-old daughter, Joshlin, who has been missing since February 2024. The case, marked by emotional testimony and community outrage, ended with Smith and two accomplices being found guilty and sentenced for their roles in the crime.
Delivering the judgment, Judge Nathan Erasmus condemned Smith’s actions, sentencing her, along with her boyfriend and a mutual friend, to life terms for human trafficking. Each of the three also received a concurrent 10-year sentence for kidnapping. The trial was held in a public hall in the small fishing town of Saldanha Bay, about 135 kilometers (80 miles) north of Cape Town, where the community has followed the case closely since Joshlin’s disappearance.
The trial spanned two months and featured the accounts of 35 prosecution witnesses. Testimony revealed that Smith, 35, had confided in multiple people about selling her daughter. Witnesses reported that she received or was promised a payment of 20,000 rand (approximately \$1,085) in exchange for the child. The court was told that Smith spoke of the transaction without remorse, referring to her daughter as though she were property.
Judge Erasmus described the evidence as overwhelming, stating that the testimonies consistently pointed to a deliberate and financially motivated act. “I have already found that, on the evidence before me, Joshlin was exchanged,” he said. “The evidence is from all scores—there were payments, or at least the promise of payments.” He noted the deeply disturbing nature of the crime, criticizing Smith for viewing her own child as a “commodity” to be traded.
Joshlin’s whereabouts remain unknown more than a year after her disappearance, and despite the conviction, the lack of closure continues to weigh heavily on both the family and the community. The ruling, however, has been seen as a significant moment of accountability in a case that highlighted the horrors of child trafficking and the vulnerabilities children face—even within their own homes.
The community of Saldanha Bay, where Joshlin lived and where the trial unfolded, has been at the center of national attention, with residents expressing anger, grief, and disbelief over the betrayal of a young child by those meant to protect her. The courtroom, set in a local hall due to public interest, became a focal point for a country grappling with the implications of the crime.
As the nation reflects on the disturbing details revealed in court, the judgment stands as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance, legal justice, and protection for the most vulnerable members of society.