Mother who sold six-year-old daughter given life term in South Africa
A South African woman convicted of kidnapping and trafficking her six-year-old daughter has been sentenced to life in prison, along with her two accomplices.
The jail terms for Racquel "Kelly" Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn's come more than a year after Joshlin Smith mysteriously disappeared outside her home in Saldanha Bay, near Cape Town.
Despite a highly publicised search for the girl, who vanished in February 2024, she is yet to be found.
The sentencing follows a six-week trial that captivated South Africa, with witnesses and prosecutors making a number of shocking allegations.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Township honors citizen responsible for saving unconscious man from burning house
A citizen was recognized after he reported a house fire and saved the unconscious man in the home. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Harrison Township recognized the brave efforts of James Smith who pulled an unconscious Corey Mitchell from his burning home. As previously reported on News Center 7, firefighters were dispatched to the home on Philadelphia Drive around 5:30 p.m. on April 3. The resident pulled from the home was in critical condition, according to Seth Dodds with the Harrison Township Fire Department. The fire damaged the first floor of the home. TRENDING STORIES: Delta to discontinue longtime non-stop route from Dayton; New flight to replace Escaped zebra remains at large after 'wreaking havoc' on busy interstate Bodies of 3 missing sisters found after visit with their father The township recognized Smith at their Board of Trustees meeting Monday night. It was the first time since the day of the fire that Smith and James had reunited. It was an emotional moment for everyone in the room, according to a spokesperson for Harrison Township. Kevin Frank and Cory Brand were the paramedics who provided lifesaving care at the scene, and they were also in attendance at the meeting. 'We're proud to celebrate the compassion and courage shown by all involved,' a spokesperson for the township said. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
DeVonta Smith reveals 2nd episode of YouTube series detailing his 2025 offseason
Iron sharpens Iron in the NFL, and no university pumps out more diamonds than the Alabama Crimson Tide. Pressure burst pipes, and with the Eagles looking to defend their title against a gauntlet of 17 games, DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown have been putting in extra work. Brown recently trained at the most 'dangerous gym in America.' At the same time, Smith just debuted a new YouTube series giving fans insight into his off-season training habits. Advertisement Smith is giving fans insight into his career at the perfect time. After winning the Super Bowl, he joined a short list of elite players. By catching a 46-yard touchdown from quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Eagles' wide receiver became the first player drafted from Alabama to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl game. Smith also became the fifth player and the first wide receiver in history to win the Heisman Trophy, a college football national title, and a Super Bowl championship. Alabama produced four Heisman Trophy-winners during Nick Saban's head coaching career, but Smith is the first Crimson Tide alum to complete this historic trifecta. Smith is also the Alabama record-holder in three critical categories. He finished his collegiate career with 235 total receptions, 3,965 receiving yards, and 46 touchdowns. Check out episode two of The Offseason. This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: DeVonta Smith gives fans a glimpse into his off-season training
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
England routs West Indies to sweep ODI series 3-0
LONDON (AP) — Late start, early finish. England needed just 30 of 40 available overs to beat the West Indies by seven wickets and achieve a 3-0 clean sweep of their one-day international series at the Oval on Tuesday. Advertisement Jamie Smith's maiden ODI fifty, 64 of the 93-run opening stand in seven overs, launched England's successful assault on the rain-revised target of 246. The game was delayed twice, first because a traffic lights outage trapped the West Indies bus long enough so the team wasn't even at the ground at the scheduled toss, and secondly for a 90-minute rain break. Without a warmup in the nets, and forced to bat in gloomy bowler-friendly conditions, the West Indies slumped to 28-3 before the rain and 154-7 soon afterward. That it eventually racked up 251-9 was impressive. Sherfane Rutherford kept the innings alive with 70 off 71 balls, then teammates Gudakesh Motie and Alzarri Joseph, the Nos. 8 and 9 batters, gave their side a fighting chance with a partnership of 91 in 11.2 overs. Advertisement In the highest ever eighth-wicket ODI stand by the West Indies against England, Motie and Joseph clobbered the host with five sixes and 10 boundaries. Joseph was out to a skier on 41 off 29, and Motie was bowled on the last ball on 63 off 54. Spinner Adil Rashid was the pick of the bowlers with 3-40. England players adapted to the pre-game traffic problems near the Oval by exiting their bus and hiring bicycles to get to the ground. Smith used more of that dynamic thinking on the fly to deflate West Indies hopes again on his home ground. Smith blasted 10 boundaries and three sixes before his off stump was bowled by Motie in the seventh over after scoring 64 from 28 deliveries. Advertisement Smith scored at such a rate that England's 100 in the eight-over powerplay was the fourth fastest in ODIs, and its 121-1 after 10 overs was England's best-ever 10-over total. Ben Duckett propelled England further with 58 from 46, falling at 155-2 with the chase more than half over. The mopping up was left to Joe Root with a casual 44, and Jos Buttler's unbeaten 41. The teams play three Twenty20s from Friday, starting at Chester-le-Street. ___ AP cricket: The Associated Press