South African woman sentenced to life imprisonment for selling her 6-year-old daughter
South African courts shocked the country on Thursday for the kidnapping and sale of her six-year-old daughter.
Joshlin Smith disappeared from her home in Saldanha Bay, a fishing town 85 miles north of Cape Town last February, but was never found.
Her mother’s racket “Kelly” Smith was reportedly convicted of the kidnapping and selling of young girls in rand 20,000 ($1,100).
Judge Nathan Erasmus ruled that Smith, 35, and her two co-defendants – a boyfriend and mutual friend – were also sentenced to jail for trafficking in humans.
They were all sentenced to ten years in prison for kidnapping.
Erasmus ruled: “I also ordered your name to enter the Child Protection Register.” He said: “Nothing is less severe than the harshest judgment and sentences I can impose.”
Erasmus said the fact that Smith and her two co-defendants were drug users is not an excuse, Reuters reported.
Smith attended the courtroom and sat for an hour, staring at the unbelievable gaze.
Sumaya Hisham / Reuters
The judge said the mother of three was manipulative and showed no “no sign of remorse” about Joshlin’s disappearance.
The verdict cheered in court.
Joshlin’s grandmother also attended a white shirt with a picture of the young girl printed on it.
Sumaya Hisham / Reuters 
The dramatic turn after Qiao Xin disappeared
Smith was initially a sympathetic person, when her child disappeared, triggering a massive search operation nationwide.
The photos show Joshlin’s eye-catching green eyes, broad smile and brown braids flood the internet.
The case has attracted national attention, including a minister who provided a million Rand ($54,000) reward for her safe return.
But when prosecutors claimed Smith sold his daughter to a traditional therapist who had an interest in her eyes and skin tone, the change came.
The judge did not say in his ruling who or why the girl was sold.
Witnesses at the trial began in March, including the girl’s teacher and a pastor who said the mother had told him that she planned to sell her child in 2023.
Police said Thursday they extended their search beyond South Africa’s borders.
South Africa is one of the highest crime rates in the world, and the crime rate for kidnapping of children is rising.
According to police statistics, in the 2023/2024 fiscal year, there were more than 17,000 kidnappings in South Africa, an increase of 11% over the previous year. The data did not specify the age of the victim.
