along with her two accomplices. The jail terms for Racquel "Kelly" Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn come more than a year after Joshlin Smith mysteriously disappeared outside her home in Saldanha Bay, near Cape Town. Despite a highly publicised search for the girl, who vanished in February 2024, she is yet to be found. South African prosecutors say she was sold into slavery however this was not definitively proven during the trial.

It is believed that Smith, who was addicted to drugs, needed the money. The sentencing follows an eight-week trial that captivated South Africa, with witnesses and prosecutors making a number of shocking allegations. Judge Nathan Erasmus said he "drew no distinction" between the trio in handing down the sentences. "On the human trafficking charge, you are sentenced to life imprisonment. On the kidnapping charge, you are sentenced to 10 years imprisonment," he said to loud applause in the courtroom.

Judge Erasmus took over an hour to deliver the sentence and was measured as he gave a brief summary of the case and highlighted points that stood out during the trial. He rebuked the trio, especially Van Rhyn and Smith, saying they showed no remorse for their actions. "There is nothing that I can find that is redeeming or deserving of a lesser sentence," he said. He also spoke of the impact their conduct had on the community of Middelpos, where the girl lived, saying it had left residents "fractured". Smith, 35, and her accomplices showed no emotion as their sentences were read out in the community centre in Saldanha where the trial was held to allow residents to attend proceedings. (BBC)