THREE people found guilty in connection with the disappearance of Joslin Smith.
The Western Cape High Court found Joslin's mum, Kelly, her boyfriend Jacquen "Boeta" Appollis, and his friend, Steveno Van Rhyn guilty of kidnapping and contravening the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act.
The verdict was delivered by Judge Nathan Erasmus in a packed White City Multipurpose Centre in Saldanha Bay on Friday, 2 May.
The trio was accused of selling Joslin for R20 000. Although they all pleaded not guilty, the court found that the evidence proved their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The accused are due to appear in the Cape Town High Court on 9 May for pre-sentencing. The date for sentencing will be confirmed and the actual sentencing will take place in Saldanha Bay.
Erasmus explained that the state's circumstantial evidence was strong enough to secure the convictions. He highlighted that the conduct of the accused, especially after Joslin's disappearance, was consistent with people who already knew what happened to the child.
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One key piece of evidence came from a man named Mr Coetzee, who testified that Kelly told him months before her arrest that she planned to sell her daughter.
According to Coetzee, Kelly first mentioned this in August 2023 and said she was willing to accept R5 000 if the buyer couldn't afford the original R20 000. The court found Mr Coetzee to be a credible witness with no motive to lie.
Erasmus also considered admissions made by Appollis and Van Rhyn. Although a key witness, Laurentia Lombaard changed her story several times during the trial. The judge said her testimony couldn't be dismissed entirely. Lombaard was originally one of the accused but later turned state witness.
The judge noted that while Lombaard was not a perfect witness, her statements about the plan to sell Joslin were supported by other evidence. He applied a cautious approach in evaluating her testimony, looking for independent confirmation before accepting her claims.
The guilty verdict brings the case one step closer to closure though Joslin's whereabouts remain unknown.
