Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis told the Western Cape high court which parts of his allegedly coerced confession were true and which were false
Sergeant Dawid Fortuin took advantage of Steveno van Rhyn’s ‘youth and vulnerability’, according to attorney Nobahle Mkabayi
Sergeant Dawid Fortuin was being cross-examined by attorney Nobahle Mkabayi, acting for accused two, Steveno van Rhyn
Two men accused, alongside the child’s mother, of kidnapping and trafficking her last year have alleged being abused into confessing to information relating to her disappearance
A female sergeant has been accused of taking part in the alleged torture of accused two, but senior officers denied any knowledge or involvement
Brigadier Leon Hanana told the court he had not personally interviewed the suspects and had received no reports of misconduct
Judge Nathan Erasmus said online harassment threatened trust in South Africa’s justice system and caused ‘suspicion’
Lourentia Lombaard irks the judge with her ‘assumptions’, while Kelly Smith is again portrayed as a callous mother
Lourentia Lombaard admitted she repeatedly withheld information from police about the alleged sale of the child, blaming fear, anger, drug use and a promised R1 000 payment
Judge Nathan Erasmus provided a synopsis of events on Monday, given the often confusing testimony of the state’s star witness
Lourentia Lombaard, the accused-turned-state-witness in the kidnapping and trafficking trial, has repeatedly lied to police
State witness Lourentia Lombaard continued her testimony on Monday, sharing chilling details in the kidnapping and human trafficking trial
Statistics are scant, but the foster care system in South Africa has its fair share of critics. There is a severe backlog, inadequate resources and a shortage of trained foster parents, meaning high turnover rates
The Joslin Smith trial reveals a tangled narrative of addiction, abuse and contradictions, as questions arise about her role in the child’s disappearance
A ‘Nigerian man’ allegedly told Smith that the child was in a container, on a boat, heading for West Africa, the court heard
Siliziwe Mbambo also said that according to the case file, the mother of Joshlin Smith threatened to assault her own grandmother
The mother of Joslin wept as her former employer, Carlyn Zeegers, described her as a ‘good mother’ in the kidnapping and human trafficking trial
Angry residents of Middelpos informal settlement heckled and swore at the mother of missing child Joslin Smith
A second police witness on Tuesday told the court that Kelly Smith’s partner was uncooperative when questioned
The first witness said Joshlin’s mother, Kelly Smith, did not seem ‘worried’ when she was reporting her missing child
The state says the matter is ready to be transferred to the high court
The case was postponed to 21 October, the third time this has happened to allow for further investigations into the seven-year-old’s disappearance
Communities such as Saldanha Bay and Cloetesville in the Western Cape are examples of where the PA saw success around the country
The case against the suspects in Joshlin’s disappearance, including her mother, has been held over to 16 September for further investigation
Police Minister Bheki Cele said the police service is working with Interpol and other organisations after a tip-off that the child could be overseas
Police confirmed that the items were found in a drain over the weekend, near the home of the six-year-old
Police say information regarding the alleged confession will only be disclosed in court
Police have dismissed rumours that the six-year-old was kidnapped for muthi, saying there was no evidence of this
Saldanha Bay residents say Lourencia Lombaard helped in the search for the six-year-old