The accused Mulder and Hartman were released on R3 000 bail each. Britz remains in custody. Case postponed to 8 July 2025 for bail application and second appearance of all suspects.

A Fourth suspect (34) was arrested by Secunda SOCI on 1 July 2025. He is in-transit to appear in Bloemfontein on 2 July 2025.

Free State Hawks Spokesperson Warrant Officer Fikizwa Matoti said a multi-disciplinary team led by the Bloemfontein based Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation, K-9 Unit, Crime Intelligence and Police Emergency Services have on 30 June 2025 arrested three suspects aged between 29 and 59 for charges of trafficking in persons, rape and attempted murder. One of the suspects is a former Warrant Officer who was attached to the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation in Bloemfontein until 2019 when he retired.

The 26-year-old victim alleges that, during July 2022, she saw an advertisement on Facebook for a job as a bar tender at a certain gentleman’s club in Ferreira, Bloemfontein.

She started talking to the club owner, who made arrangements for the victim to be transported from Ventersburg. A few days later, the club owner and a driver brought her to Bloemfontein. Upon arrival, she was taken to the house of one of the accused persons where she was drugged, sexually assaulted, and repeatedly raped by a group of males. The victim further alleges that one of the suspects was taking pictures during the ordeal. She managed to escape through the bathroom window and sought assistance. The case was reported at a nearby police station and later transferred to the Hawks.

Free State Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Major General Mokgadi Bokaba has applauded the investigators for pursuing justice, regardless of who was involved in the crime.

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The judgment, delivered on Thursday, brings some relief to a nation gripped by outrage and sorrow since Joshlin’s disappearance. Although the child remains missing, the court’s decision sends a strong message that crimes against the most vulnerable will be met with the harshest penalties.

“These people showed no regard for a child’s life. They deserve no leniency,” said Javu Baloyi, spokesperson for the Commission for Gender Equality, applauding the ruling. “Mitigating issues should never be an excuse to soften justice in such horrifying cases.”

While the life sentences offer a degree of accountability, the search for Joshlin continues. Police have vowed not to give up hope until she is found.

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Authorities have arrested a woman in connection with the blaze, and a case of arson has been opened as investigations continue.

The fire came shortly after the court convicted Kelly Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis, and his friend Stevano van Rhyn of kidnapping and trafficking six-year-old Joshlin, who remains missing.

Community members reacted with outrage following the verdict, demanding that Kelly Smith reveal what happened to her daughter.

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The verdict was delivered at the Saldanha Bay community hall, where many locals gathered to hear the outcome.

Judge Nathan Erasmus ruled that the three individuals were responsible for abducting and trafficking Joshlin for exploitative purposes.

Joshlin disappeared in Saldanha Bay in February last year and remains missing. Her grandmother has urged Kelly Smith, Joshlin’s mother, to reveal the child’s whereabouts.

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Kelly Smith was found guilty alongside her boyfriend Jacques “Boeta” Appollis and their friend Steveno “Steffie” van Rhyn. The case, which has gripped the nation, concluded with a dramatic judgment that confirmed Joshlin had indeed been exchanged in a child trafficking scheme.

Police confirmed that an arson case has been opened and that an adult woman was taken in for questioning in connection with the fire.

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The judgment was delivered at a community centre in Diazville, drawing emotional reactions from the public gallery. Joshlin’s disappearance on February 19, 2024, triggered an intensive manhunt and months-long investigation, eventually leading to the arrests.

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Authorities stated that the search for Joshlin is ongoing, as the child has not yet been found. Sentencing for the convicted trio has been postponed to May 9, 2025, and they remain in custody.

Police continue to urge the public to assist in locating Joshlin, describing her as a green-eyed girl whose case remains a priority.

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