Where is Joslin? Kelly Smith to 'speak' at sentencing
Kelly Smith – the mother of missing Joslin Smith – is expected to finally speak at her sentencing for kidnapping and trafficking charges this week. Will she finally reveal where her daughter is after almost a year?
Kelly, boyfriend Jacquin 'Boeta' Apollis, and pal Steven van Rhyn are facing the maximum sentence after they were convicted by Judge Nathan Erasmus in the Western Cape High Court earlier this month.
The mother-of-three is accused of being the 'mastermind' in the crime and selling her child for R20 000 to reportedly fuel her drug habit.
Earlier this month, Kelly Smith's mother, Amanda Daniels-Smith, stated that her daughter would finally speak at her sentencing, which would take place this week.
This, after she and her co-accused opted not to testify in the trial.
Amanda said she was hopeful that Kelly would reveal the location of her granddaughter.
She told the Daily Maverick : 'I asked Kelly if she could please talk and tell me where Joslin was. She cried and said, 'Mommy, I don't know where Joslin is and I'm not involved.'
'Kelly told me she was going to speak during the sentencing process. But she didn't say what she was going to say.'
Joslin went missing from her Middelpos shack in Diazville on 19 February 2024. According to several witnesses in the trial, Kelly plotted to sell her daughter for R20 000 for 'drug money'.
While some claim that the blonde, green-eyed girl was trafficked, others believe she was possibly sold to a sangoma to use as muti.
Kelly's half-sister, Mickeyla Daniels, also testified, claiming that her sibling told her that Joslin was in 'hiding' in the informal settlement.
Kelly Smith, Jacuqin Appollis, and Steveno van Rhyn's sentencing proceedings will begin on Tuesday, 27 May, at the Saldanha Multipurpose Centre.
Judge Nathan Erasmus is expected to deliver the sentence on Thursday. Kelly Smith's mother hopes her daughter will reveal where Joslin is. The Saldanha Bay woman and her two accused will be sentenced this week.
Images via YouTube screenshot: SABC News.
During proceedings, the state will call a US human trafficking expert who will present evidence in the case. A victim impact report about how Joslin's disappearance has affected her family and community, will also be read out in court.
According to reports, Appollis's mother may also testify in mitigation of sentencing. A decision about state witness Lourentia Lombaard will also be made.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 .
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