A child lost to evil: The horror of human trafficking
Human trafficking is on the rise in SA, tearing apart families and robbing victims of their futures and hope.
It is almost inconceivably evil that a mother could sell her child and then remain silent about where the buyers may have taken her.
Yet that is what Kelly Smith – mother of abducted six-year-old Joshlin – has done.
Despite being sentenced yesterday to life in prison, the tearful and emotional Smith said nothing which may have helped the authorities locate Joshlin.
That silence leaves two horrifying possibilities: that the child was murdered and her body cut up for muti or… that she was whisked into one of the underground channels of human trafficking.
In a way, it might be better if Joshlin was dead – not only to spare her whatever horrors the trafficked life might hold, but also so her family has closure.
There can be nothing worse than knowing a child – your child – will forever be lost to you.
ALSO READ: Joshlin Smith sentencing: Kelly and co-accused handed life sentences
This is what the families of the six girls who were reportedly abducted by Pretoria paedophile Gert van Rooyen and his partner, Joey Haarhoff, have had to endure for almost 40 years.
It's the agony that Kate and Gerry McCann have had to endure since that day in 2007, when their three-year-old daughter Madeleine disappeared while the family was on holiday in Portugal.
The Joshlin Smith case has shone the spotlight on trafficking – not only of children, but of adults – which has become one of the most profitable organised crimes in the world… and is on the increase in South Africa.
We report today of a group of Ethiopians who were rescued from a house in northern Joburg where they were held captive by human traffickers.
Some of them were initially mistakenly arrested and put in handcuffs, adding to their trauma.
Trafficking is abominable. It seeks to steal not only the body, but also the soul – and future – of a person.
NOW READ: WATCH: The moment Joshlin Smith's mother was sentenced to life in prison
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Joshlin Smith case: WMACA urges more arrests
AVON Earn extra money. each month. Whatsapp your name. 082 680 6242 and I will. show you how Women and Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA) has welcomed the life sentences handed down to Kelly Smith and her co-accused in the harrowing case of six-year-old Joshlin Smith's disappearance. The case has become a chilling symbol of the ongoing crisis of child trafficking in South Africa. Joshlin Smith vanished and was reportedly sold for R20 000. The court found that Smith, along with two co-accused, conspired in the sale of the child. ALSO READ: You have a legal obligation to report child abuse – State Advocate While WMACA expresses satisfaction with the outcome of the trial, they firmly believe that more individuals were involved who have yet to face justice. 'There was a middleman, and there was a client. Someone wanted something from this child, and we still don't know who they are,' WMACA said. 'There are people who were nearby, who saw or heard things. Too many loose ends remain.' WMACA is calling on those convicted to come forward with the full truth now. With nothing left to lose, they urge the guilty to reveal the identities of any additional accomplices. One of the most disturbing aspects of the case, according to WMACA, is the involvement of Joshlin's mother. 'How does a mother even begin a conversation about selling her child? And how does that conversation lead to a buyer, whether for the entire child or body parts? It's diabolical.' ALSO READ: Bertha Gxowa creates awareness on child abuse Despite the absence of Joshlin's body, WMACA holds the convicted trio fully responsible for her disappearance, whether she is ultimately found alive or dead. 'Nothing less than a life sentence would have been acceptable,' the organisation stated. WMACA acknowledges and praises Judge Erasmus for delivering a sentence that sends a strong message. The organisation mourns that it took such a tragic and horrific case to bring attention to the horrors of child trafficking. 'Justice was served in court, but for Joshlin and countless other children who disappear without a trace, we may never know the full truth. We only wish that a little girl had not met such a gruesome fate for the world to take notice.' At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Joshlin Smith case: WMACA calls for additional arrests
Women and Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA) has welcomed the life sentences handed down to Kelly Smith and her co-accused in the harrowing case of six-year-old Joshlin Smith's disappearance. The case has become a chilling symbol of the ongoing crisis of child trafficking in South Africa. Joshlin Smith vanished and was reportedly sold for R20 000. The court found that Smith, along with two co-accused, conspired in the sale of the child. ALSO READ: You have a legal obligation to report child abuse – State Advocate While WMACA expresses satisfaction with the outcome of the trial, they firmly believe that more individuals were involved who have yet to face justice. 'There was a middleman, and there was a client. Someone wanted something from this child, and we still don't know who they are,' WMACA said. 'There are people who were nearby, who saw or heard things. Too many loose ends remain.' WMACA is calling on those convicted to come forward with the full truth now. With nothing left to lose, they urge the guilty to reveal the identities of any additional accomplices. One of the most disturbing aspects of the case, according to WMACA, is the involvement of Joshlin's mother. 'How does a mother even begin a conversation about selling her child? And how does that conversation lead to a buyer, whether for the entire child or body parts? It's diabolical.' ALSO READ: Bertha Gxowa creates awareness on child abuse Despite the absence of Joshlin's body, WMACA holds the convicted trio fully responsible for her disappearance, whether she is ultimately found alive or dead. 'Nothing less than a life sentence would have been acceptable,' the organisation stated. WMACA acknowledges and praises Judge Erasmus for delivering a sentence that sends a strong message. The organisation mourns that it took such a tragic and horrific case to bring attention to the horrors of child trafficking. 'Justice was served in court, but for Joshlin and countless other children who disappear without a trace, we may never know the full truth. We only wish that a little girl had not met such a gruesome fate for the world to take notice.' At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
Joshlin Smith's grandmother battling 'mental anguish' after daughter receives life sentence
Amanda Smith-Daniels, Kelly Smith's mother and the grandmother of missing child Joshlin Smith, arriving in court before the sentencing proceedings in the trial. Image: Ayanda Ndamane/IndependentNewspapers Amanda Smith-Daniels, the grandmother of missing six-year-old Joshlin Smith, says she is grappling with deep psychological trauma after her daughter, Racquel 'Kelly', Smith was sentenced to life in prison for trafficking her child. In an emotional interview, Smith-Daniels revealed that she has been admitted to a psychiatric facility for treatment for severe depression. The weight of her daughter's betrayal and the ongoing anguish of not knowing what happened to her granddaughter have taken a devastating toll. 'I must deal with psychologists and psychiatrists. I have to work on my mental health because it's too much,' she said. 'My pillow is riddled with tears. Every night I lie awake praying for Joshlin.' Joshlin went missing from her home in Middelpos, Saldanha Bay, on 19 February 2024. According to Kelly Smith, she left her daughter in the care of her boyfriend Jacquen 'Boeta' Appollis while she went to work. When she returned home, Joshlin was gone. A massive search effort was launched, but over a year later, the little girl has still not been found. Following months of court proceedings, Kelly Smith, her co-accused, Appollis, and their friend Steveno 'Steffie' van Rhyn were convicted and sentenced to life for human trafficking and 10 years for kidnapping. Meanwhile, a fourth accused, Lourentia 'Renz' Lombaard, turned State witness. Since the sentencing, Smith-Daniels says her daughter has cut all ties with her — even sending police officers to deliver the message that she wanted no further contact. 'I haven't seen her since she was sentenced,' she said. 'She blames me, I think, for what I said in court. But I only told the truth.' Her victim impact statement, delivered by Court Preparation Officer Deonett Boltney, laid bare the emotional destruction caused by Kelly's actions. 'Kelly, you've come to make our lives hell on earth,' the statement read. 'You came to break us and tear us apart. Do you know what it's like to lie awake every night? My heart is ripped out of my body because I pray for Joshlin.' In the same statement, Smith-Daniels recalled how Kelly's son wished Kelly a happy Mother's Day, while the boy's mother was behind bars. 'Didn't you wish you had your three children with you? I'm the one who prays with him at night, who helps him with his homework. You tried using our personal lives to air dirty laundry with your actions.' The heartbreak of Joshlin's disappearance continues to haunt her. 'She (Rachelle) was such a bright little girl. At night, when I got up to use the bathroom, she would fly up, arms stretched out, asking where I was going. I had to pick her up because she was afraid I'd leave her. It broke me every time,' she said in the statement. 'Sometimes when she was playing, she would stop and say: 'Mommy, you know my sister is gone and my mom too'." With Kelly in prison and Joshlin still missing, Smith-Daniels is now responsible for raising the two other children, Rachelle and Racquen. She has yet to tell Rachelle the full truth. 'She's too young to understand. I just told her we're going to find her sister and that her mommy will come back. Only Racquen knows the truth. I've taken him to psychologists to help him cope,' said on Smith-Daniels. Smith-Daniels said she now lives with constant fear and anxiety for the safety of her grandchildren. 'It weighs heavily on me every morning when I wake them for school. I feel like I need to be at the school all day to make sure nothing happens to them.' Her daily life is a battle with trauma, made worse by the uncertainty over Joshlin's fate. 'Even though there's no good news about Joshlin yet, I still believe the police haven't given up. I believe in Captain Lombard,' she said, referring to the lead investigator in the case. Joshlin's disappearance shocked the nation and led to widespread calls for action against child trafficking and abuse. Over the course of the trial, 35 State witnesses were called, and a trial-within-a-trial was held to examine the admissibility of confessions allegedly obtained under duress. Judge Nathan Erasmus ultimately found that Kelly Smith had willingly handed over her child to be trafficked. In handing down the life sentence, Erasmus said her actions were motivated by greed. Judge Erasmus has yet to rule on whether State witness Lourentia Lombard will receive indemnity from prosecution. A separate hearing is expected. As the case draws national attention, Smith-Daniels is trying to find a way forward. But she says the pain will never go away — not until Joshlin is found. 'I still remember the day we realised she was gone. I thought she would be found that same night. That was my prayer.' Though exhausted by grief, she remains grateful for those who continue to support the family and help search for Joshlin. 'Thank you to everyone who still remembers her name and fights for her. Please don't stop.'
