Joshlin Smith went missing on 19 February. Her mother, Racquel 'Kelly' Smith briefly appeared at the Vredenburg Magistrate's Court on Monday, 15 July 2024. Pictures: Facebook and X/ @Am_Blujay
The wait for answers surrounding little Joshlin Smith – who has been missing for almost five months now – has been extended as the trial for the Saldanha Bay girl’s disappearance case was once again postponed.
The Grade 1 Diazville Primary School pupil vanished mysteriously from the Middelpos Informal Settlement on 19 February 2024.
Since then, an extensive search operation − which has extended as far as the United Kingdom (UK) alongside Interpol − was launched to locate the little girl with the striking green eyes.
Her mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis, and the couple’s friends Steveno van Rhyn and Lourentia “Renze” Lombaard were arrested and charged with human trafficking and kidnapping in March.
The four accused made a brief appearance at the Vredenburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday morning, 15 July.
On Monday morning, a heavily pregnant Smith – dressed in a burgundy red jersey, dark blue jeans and a black puffer jacket – briefly appeared in the dock alongside her co-accused.
ALSO READ: Joshlin Smith: Mom Kelly pregnant in Pollsmoor
Magistrate Yolisa Sikhoyo postponed the trial until 15 September to continue investigations.
Police reported that the DNA analysis of a jersey found among dunes in a field near Middelpos on 31 May is still incomplete.
“Due to the amount of the evidence that is still outstanding, your matter will be postponed again to give the State an opportunity to complete its investigation,” Sikhoyo said.
“The date agreed to between the State and the defence is the 16th of September for further investigation. You are all in custody until then.”
According to the State, the trial will be moved to the Western Cape High Court, in Cape Town.
Smith and Lombaard have been remanded in custody at Cape Town’s notorious Pollsmoor Prison and Appollis and Van Rhyn at Malmesbury Correctional Services.
Reverend June Dolley-Major, an activist who actively joined in the search for Joshlin, revealed in March to Rapport that Kelly is pregnant behind bars.
Dolley-Major explained that mothers are usually allowed to look after their children born in prison for a period of two years.
“In the case of Kelly, this would also be determined by the criminal charges against her,” she added.
The 33-year-old Smith, who confessed to being a tik (crystal meth) user, left her daughter – who she claims was unwell – in the care of Appollis when she went to do an odd domestic job.
On her return to the couple’s tin-and-wooden shack at about 5pm, Joshlin was missing.
Appollis denies any involvement in her disappearance. He claims that the last time he saw her was when she went to play outside.
The two men apparently made this confession after a 36-hour interrogation at Saldanha Police Station.
However, no further details of what had been confessed were provided.
The previous postponements of the trial was motivated by the fact that investigators still needed to obtain witness statements and conduct data analysis on the accused’s cellphones.
Police were also waiting for the results of the DNA analysis of bloodstained clothes, a knife and a sheet found in an open field about a kilometre away from Joshlin’s home on 2 March.
Following the brief appearance of the four accused on Monday, Western Cape NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said new evidence had emerged.
He did not want to reveal any information about this, but said that depending on the outcome of the investigation, “one cannot rule out additional charges or a new accused being added to the docket”.
“When we come back on 16 September, the State will hand over a letter advising the court that the matter will be transferred to the Western Cape High Court. At the next court appearance the accused will be handed an indictment,” he added.
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