Joshlin Smith
latest news & developments
Reported cases of child abuse and neglect rose to 26 000 in 2024-25
These included 9 859 cases relating to sexual abuse reported in all nine provinces
Three accused are going to jail but Joslin’s fate remains unknown
The judge has handed down sentences — but a little girl is still missing and a community’s anguish remains raw
Kelly Smith’s mother uses victim impact statement to confront daughter about parenting, indifference
Amanda Daniels said that Smith, who was convicted earlier this month, had ripped the family apart and still refused to take responsibility for her actions
State seeks life sentence for accused in Joslin Smith kidnapping
A human expert trafficking testified in aggravation of sentence on Tuesday, saying the sale of the child was premeditated and there was plenty of time to stop it
Cop ‘asked me if I know Jesus’ — accused one in Joslin Smith kidnapping takes the stand
Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis told the Western Cape high court which parts of his allegedly coerced confession were true and which were false
Joslin Smith: Defence accuses cop of trying to exploit accused’s weaknesses to gain confession
Sergeant Dawid Fortuin took advantage of Steveno van Rhyn’s ‘youth and vulnerability’, according to attorney Nobahle Mkabayi
No standing order to record witness statements, court hears in Joslin Smith kidnapping trial
Sergeant Dawid Fortuin was being cross-examined by attorney Nobahle Mkabayi, acting for accused two, Steveno van Rhyn
Medical examiner refutes accused’s claims of abuse in Joslin Smith trial
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
Denials of police torture dominate week five of Joslin Smith kidnapping trial
A female sergeant has been accused of taking part in the alleged torture of accused two, but senior officers denied any knowledge or involvement
Another senior officer denies torture allegations in Joslin Smith kidnapping trial
Brigadier Leon Hanana told the court he had not personally interviewed the suspects and had received no reports of misconduct
Judge condemns cyberbullying as Joslin Smith kidnapping trial enters fifth week
Judge Nathan Erasmus said online harassment threatened trust in South Africa’s justice system and caused ‘suspicion’
Star witness continues to unravel on the stand in Joslin Smith trial
Lourentia Lombaard irks the judge with her ‘assumptions’, while Kelly Smith is again portrayed as a callous mother
Star witness in Joslin Smith case says silence was driven by fear, drugs and hush money
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
Court hears that Kelly Smith orchestrated Joslin’s sale to sangoma, others probably involved ‘by chance’
Judge Nathan Erasmus provided a synopsis of events on Monday, given the often confusing testimony of the state’s star witness
Joslin Smith: Could the state’s ‘unsophisticated’ witness sink its case?
Lourentia Lombaard, the accused-turned-state-witness in the kidnapping and trafficking trial, has repeatedly lied to police