Girl, 8, missing after mum sold her for her ‘light eyes and skin' for £800
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
A mother who sold her young daughter to a rogue healer for her eyes and skin has been jailed for life.
The disappearance of Joshlin Smith, 6, has shocked South Africa after it emerged her mum, Racquel 'Kelly' Smith, had sold the little girl to a traditional healer.
Joshlin, who has a fair complexion and turquoise eyes, has not been seen since February when she went missing from outside her home in Saldanha Bay near Cape Town.
As twisted details emerged in court, witnesses told how the mum had sold her for £800, and that she would have allegedly settled for £200, MailOnline reports.
Smith, 35, was sentenced over kidnapping and trafficking together with her boyfriend, Jacquen Appollis and a friend, Steveno van Rhyn.
A search continues for little Joshlin, whose devastated grandmother pleaded with the depraved mother to bring her back 'or tell me where she is.'
Joshlin's granny, Amanda Smith-Daniels, who now cares for her sibling, told Newzroom Afrika: 'I don't feel that any sentence they get will bring my grandchild back.'
She asked: 'How do you sleep [and] live with yourself?'
A social worker revealed during the trial that Joshlin had been living in neglect.
Lorential Lombaard, a neighbour and Smith's friend, told the court that the mother had confessed before the disappearance she had sold Joshlin to a 'sangoma,' a traditional healer also known as 'soul doctors.'
The neighbour said she later spotted the mum packing a bag of clothes for Joshlin before she climbed into a car with her and a woman she believes to be the healer.
Joshlin's teacher claimed that Smith said during a search that the little girl was already 'on a ship, inside a container, and they were on the way to West Africa.'
The court heard how Joshlin went to live with family friends after her mother, who has a history of drug abuse since her teens, was abusive while high. More Trending
The friends tried to adopt her to give her a better life, but the parents allegedly blocked it.
Family friend Natasha Andrews, who knew Joshlin, shared a video of her in court because 'so many people…don't know what Joshlin sounds like.'
Joshlin's teacher said the girl was 'very tidy' and that she plays her favourite gospel song, God Will Work It Out, at the start of each school day to her friends, who keep asking about her fate.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Dad wrongly accused of driving car in Liverpool crowd 'too scared to return home'
MORE: Liverpool suspect's wife 'found out about crash when she saw her car on TV'
MORE: Shocking moment cop shoots driver through windscreen while clinging to car hood in Miami
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
33 minutes ago
- BBC News
Glastonbury Church reopens after anti-social behaviour "reset"
A churchyard in a town centre has reopened after it was forced to close for a month because of anti-social John's the Baptist's Church in the centre of Glastonbury, Somerset, stopped all church-related activities, other than Sunday services and funerals, during May for a "reset".David Smith, churchwarden said it was a "horrible" decision to close but added: "The raised gravestones were being used as shop counters for open drug dealing - that obviously is unacceptable."The decision split opinions in the town but Avon and Somerset Police said the closure was "challenging", but a "necessary" step to protect safety. The church say they're working with Glastonbury Town Council, local businesses and the Police as the churchyard Smith continued: "I believe the closure was the reset we needed and we've had good feedback from the public as we reopened." Paul Manning is a town councillor and runs a business just off the High Street and said anti-social behaviour in the town is a "barrier" to said: "The businesses at the top end of the High Street suffer because of anti-social behaviour. We need to all work together to address this."It comes after the BBC reported in January that some Glastonbury shop workers said more work needed to be done to crack down on crime and anti-social behaviour.A police spokesperson previously told the BBC: "We have been working closely with representatives from the church and the local authority to combat anti-social behaviour in and around Glastonbury." Dandelion Chalice runs a business in Glastonbury and said it was a "huge shame" to close the said: "I felt it was upsetting to shut a Christian place of worship."But I understand it as the churchyard was much more peaceful when it was closed."You can't have people fighting next to families having picnics."
Metro
8 hours ago
- Metro
PC sacked for not showing 'courtesy' to knife-wielding teenager during arrest
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A police force has been criticised by its own officers for releasing footage of a PC 'behaving aggressively and using unreasonable force' while arresting a teenage boy. PC Lorne Castle was sacked for gross misconduct after a disciplinary hearing held by Dorset Police following the incident in Bournemouth town centre on January 27, 2024. The two-minute clip released on Tuesday shows the officer tackling the boy to the ground before taking hold of the teenager's face and throat while repeatedly swearing and shouting at him. He can be heard shouting and crying 'what have I done' and 'what did I do' before the officer shouts: 'Stop screaming like a little b****, do you understand that? Shut up.' The teenager also screams 'my f****** neck, get off me, I don't want you on me', while PC Castle is on top of him. The officer later shouts 'Stop resisting or I'm gonna smash you, do you understand?' and says the boy is being arrested on suspicion of assault. In a statement, Dorset Police said they had chosen to release the body-worn video because of the 'high level of public interest in the outcome of the misconduct hearing locally and to challenge misinformation'. But the Dorset Police Federation said in a statement of their own the release 'appears primarily to be an attempt by Dorset Police to manage some of the public criticism the force has received following the decision to dismiss the officer, rather than a genuine desire to properly inform the public'. PC Castle previously admitted misconduct in relation to breaching the standards of professional behaviour relating to authority, respect and courtesy, conduct and use of force but denied gross misconduct, the force added. However, an independent panel found that the breaches amounted to gross misconduct and PC Castle was dismissed without notice. The video formed part of the evidence reviewed by the panel during the three-day hearing which concluded on May 29. A knife was found around four-minutes into PC Castle's interaction with the boy, after he had been put in handcuffs, Dorset Police said. The force added that the officer had been responding to information that the teenager may have been involved in an earlier suspected assault, but at no time was there any suggestion that a knife had been used. No further action was taken against the boy in relation to the reported assaults and he was issued with an out of court disposal for possessing the knife, according to police. Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Farrell said: 'I understand the strength of feeling in this case and it is right to be open and transparent about what the independent panel saw, alongside other evidence and testimony. 'We are sharing body worn video to address concerns about misinformation and to reassure the public that, while tackling crime in Dorset, our officers will continue to be proactive and robust – but by using their powers proportionately and with respect. 'Tackling violence, knife crime and antisocial behaviour are absolutely our priorities. 'At times our officers are required to use force to affect the arrest of suspects, prevent offences and protect the public, their colleagues and themselves. 'I have the utmost respect for the vast majority of officers, who have to use force when making an arrest and do so appropriately and with professionalism, even when they are exposed to risk and violence. 'They do a tough job and when their actions are proportionate, necessary and reasonable they will always be supported.' In a statement Dorset Police Federation criticised Dorset Police's decision to release the footage, saying the force had done so 'without also providing context or balance'. It continued: 'The clip released by Dorset Police fails to show the double-bladed knife which falls from the clothing of the suspect at the end of the arrest and that potentially could have been used to inflict serious harm on the officer, the officers' colleagues or a random member of the public. 'It fails to mention the context that – in an early morning briefing – the officer was warned to be extra cautious due to a mass brawl in the town centre just two nights before, a brawl involving youths with machetes and knives, some of the offenders for which were still outstanding.' The federation added that 'many aspects of the arrest and the force used by the officer were deemed to have been justified, proportionate and reasonable by the independent panel'. More Trending 'Our view is that the showing of selective clips of an officer's body worn video is not a useful or responsible way to properly inform the public about an incident – and only serves to entice the public into making judgments without having the benefit of all the facts. 'This is not fair or just.' The formal written outcome of the hearing will be published at a later date. PC Castle will also be placed on the police barred list, preventing him from holding any future role in policing. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Madeleine McCann prime suspect gives first interview as new searches launched MORE: Three Brits face firing squad for 'smuggling cocaine inside Angel Delight sachets' MORE: First picture of 'loving' teenager who died after motorbike plunged into canal
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Love Island star's SHOCK EXIT as they leave the villa ahead of upcoming series after citing 'personal reasons'
Love Island star Kyle Ashman has left the show ahead of the launch episode next Monday. ITV have confirmed the 23-year-old from Stafford has chosen not to enter the villa and has decided to leave the show for personal reasons. It comes amid The Sun's reports that Kyle was involved in an machete attack in February when masked thugs stormed a wake and hacked at a dad with a blade. Kyle was one of two arrested by police but he was released with no further action and he has now confirmed he had no involvement in the incident, but has chosen to leave the ITV show regardless. Kyle told MailOnline: 'I fully cooperated with this police investigation and made it very clear that I had no involvement in this incident. 'I am not a violent person and any suggestion otherwise is a mischaracterisation.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Meanwhile ITV added: 'For personal reasons, Kyle will not be entering the Love Island Villa as planned.' The Love Island line up was announced on Tuesday so Kyle's departure will have plunged the show into chaos ahead of Monday's launch episode. The Sun have revealed they alerted bosses on Kyle being questioned in the attack but ITV said they were unaware of the incident and he was not flagged during the contestant checks. The incident on February 28 saw the victim, 38, nearly lose his arm after he was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment and kept it for around two weeks. Another mourner was reportedly glassed, one hit with a metal pole, and two people were run over by a car during the 15 minute attack at the The White Eagle Club in Stafford. Sources said the victim was attacked by three balaclava-clad thugs over an alleged £3,000 debt. He was injured by a blade that left him with a deep gash and has suffered tendon damage and is now unable to drive. Police confirmed yesterday that after the matter had been investigated Kyle and another individual were released with no further action only last month. The incident on February 28 at The White Eagle Club in Stafford saw the victim, 38, nearly lose his arm after he was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment A show source told the publication: 'ITV were entirely unaware of Kyle's past and, as he was not charged, it was not flagged as part of Love Island's stringent DBS checks. 'It's only right he can now return home to the UK to share his side of the story and therefore bosses took the decision that it was best for him not to enter the villa.' Staffordshire Police said on Monday: 'A 22-year-old man, from Stafford, was arrested on suspicion of wounding and affray. Another man, also 22 and from Stafford, was arrested on suspicion of affray. 'Both were questioned in custody and bailed with conditions while our enquiries continue.' Kyle, who works as a water operative, doesn't have a strong social media presence with just one Insta pic on his profile. Prior to his announced departure, Kyle said he was looking for 'someone that's fun, confident and just themselves'.
