Kelly Smith’s mom: “I begged her to tell the truth about Joshlin”
Amanda Daniels-Smith, the mother of Racquel “Kelly” Smith, who was convicted of kidnapping and human trafficking, has publicly shared her heartbreak over her daughter’s decision to sell her six-year-old daughter, Joshlin Smith.
Joshlin has been missing since February 2024, and the case has gripped the Saldanha Bay community.
In a poignant statement read during Kelly’s trial at the Vredenburg Magistrate’s Court, Daniels-Smith expressed the profound pain caused by her daughter’s actions. “Kelly avoids responsibility and plays the victim,” she said, noting that her daughter’s refusal to reveal Joshlin’s fate has deepened the family’s anguish.
Daniels-Smith, who attended the trial and visited Kelly in holding cells, pleaded for answers but received none.
The disappearance of Joshlin, last seen in Middelpos, Saldanha, remains unresolved, with Kelly and three co-accused Jacquen Appollis, Steveno van Rhyn, and Phumza Sigaqa facing charges of kidnapping and human trafficking.
The case has sparked public outrage and drawn attention to the scourge of child trafficking in the region.
As the court proceedings continue, Daniels-Smith’s grief underscores the devastating ripple effects of Kelly’s choices on her family and the community still searching for little Joshlin.