South African mum who sold daughter, 6, 'for her eyes and skin' gets life sentence

A mum has been sentenced to life behind bars after she was convicted of kidnapping and trafficking her six-year-old daughter "for her eyes and skin".

Racquel 'Kelly' Smith and her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis have been sentenced to jail following a six week trial at a community centre in Saldanha, South Africa that heard six-year-old Joshlin Smith had been sold to a traditional healer for her body parts. A witness alleged during the trial that Smith had talked of selling her children for 20,000 rand (£850) each, with another saying she had planned to supply her to a healer named a "sangoma" who wanted the young girl for her "eyes and skin".

A local pastor had also testified that he heard Smith say she would have been willing to accept a lower figure of $275 (£204).

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The young girl's fate was never confirmed, however, with extensive search efforts launched after she went missing in February 2024 yet to locate a trace of her.

Smith had won sympathy from South Africans last year after her daughter's disappearance, with neighbours joining the massive search in sand dunes nearby the impoverished settlement of Middelpos where she lived with her mum, mother's partner, brother and younger half sister.

She had claimed she left the young girl with Appollis the day she went missing last February, adding she had not seen her since then.

Last week, Judge Erasmus said the mum's conduct was "not that of a concerned parent", adding he inferred from this that she "knew" what had happened to her daughter.

Addressing Smith, he said: "The conduct of ... Ms Smith is not that of a concerned parent. And why not? In my mind, the only inference is that you knew (what happened)."

The trial of Smith and her co-accused captivated South Africa, with the courtroom breaking into applause as they were sentenced to life behind bars this week.

Nathan Erasmus, the presiding judge, said he "drew no distinction" between Smith, her boyfriend and their friend Steveno van Rhyn before handing down the sentences.

He said: "On the human trafficking charge, you are sentenced to life imprisonment. On the kidnapping charge, you are sentenced to 10 years imprisonment."

The court reportedly broke into applause the moment the sentences were passed, with emotions running high ahead of the trial's conclusion.

Angry family and community members of Smith had come out swinging against the mum and the other accused, with locals saying the three should get a "harsh sentence because they deserve it".

Amanda Smith-Daniels, Joshlin's grandmother, launched a final desperate plea for her daughter to "bring my [grand]child back or tell me where she is".

The distraught gran told local broadcaster Newzroom Afrika she didn't feel "any sentence they get will bring my grandchild back".

People were seen visibly sobbing in the crowd after a video showing the young girl was played ahead of the sentencing.