A mother in South Africa, Kelly Smith, is currently on trial, accused of orchestrating the kidnapping of her six-year-old daughter, Joshlin.
The young girl went missing in February last year from outside their home in Saldanha Bay, near Cape Town. Despite a widespread search, Joshlin remains missing.
Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis, and their friend Steveno van Rhyn have all pleaded not guilty to charges of human trafficking and kidnapping. Initially, Smith claimed that Joshlin had disappeared while in Appollis’s care.
However, prosecutors later alleged that Smith had “sold, delivered, or exchanged” her daughter and lied about her disappearance.
The trial, which began on March 3, is expected to run until March 28 at the Saldanha multi-purpose centre, which has been converted into a high court for the case. The location was chosen to ensure community access to the proceedings.
