*Please be aware that there will be some details in this post that are quite disturbing. I have aimed to be as a sensitive as I can be with the details without taking away from the facts of the case. If you have any questions about this post or would like to speak to me for whatever reason about it, please feel free to email me at jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com*
I've said it before in previous cases that I have covered on this blog over the years, that some people just do not deserve the gift of children and having the privilege of being a parent. 35 year old Kelly Smith (real name Racquel 'Kelly' Smith) is one such person who unfortunately was given the role of a 'Mother' but was in no way ever what you would call 'maternal'. In fact, she saw her beautiful three children as a stone around her neck and love and affection was off the cards as far as she was concerned.
Kelly lived with her three children in what can only be described as a dilapidated hut in Saldanha Bay which is a little place near Cape Town, South Africa, that has seen better days. A chronic drug addict from her early teens, it sadly was no rare thing to hear of Kelly trying to sell her own children to various people in order to get money for drugs. As you can imagine, the children had a hell of a life with her.
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I saw a news article pop up the other day regarding this case and I could not believe what I was reading. This case has shocked South Africa to it's core as well as the rest of the world who are aware of it. I was and am absolutely horrified to think that a mother could do such things to her own children, no matter the circumstances, living in poverty, dependent on illegal substances or whatever the situation, children should not be subjected to this type of horrendous abuse and neglect.
I was horrified to read that Kelly had sold her 6 year old angelic looking daughter, Joshlin to a man who claimed to be a 'healer'. This stranger wanted to buy Joshlin for her skin and eyes which is unbelievable and without batting an eyelid, Kelly (with the help of her disgusting boyfriend and his friend) handed over her innocent little girl to this fiend for the pathetic sum of £800. The evil trio then went off to buy drugs. Joshlin hasn't been seen since, nobody knows if this little girl is alive or deceased.
Since February 2024, the good people of South Africa have been keeping Joshlin in their thoughts, many searches have been conducted, information posters shared around and news reports with appeals for information have been broadcast far and wide. Money has also been kindly donated for a reward for any possible details of where she is and the never-ending hope that she will be found safe and well but as time goes on the fear grows more and more. The fact that a man claiming he was some sort of witch doctor purchased a 6 year old child for her eyes and skin leaves a feeling of utter terror at the fact that this child may no longer be alive. I have written about such people before who have abducted and murdered light skinned people so that they can use their organs and bones for food and potions. In certain parts of the world these horrific things go on and these people believe that by consuming a certain individual's remains or wearing their bones or grinding their bones up into a powder for medicines (sorry for the horrible details here) that it gives them some sort of power and healing. Light skin and eyes seems to be well desired by these types and it frightens me at the thought that this beautiful little girl who already had a tough start at life with this monster of a mother, could be subjected to a horrific end which none of us would dare to think about.
I always try to have hope when a child goes missing and I do hope that I am wrong when it comes to Joshlin but there is a terrible feeling about all of this. Two weeks after Joshlin went missing, Kelly and her accomplices were arrested and charged with kidnapping and human trafficking. The local community were horrified and did all they could (and are still doing all they can to this day) to find out what happened to Joshlin and where she could possibly be, but nobody is unrealistic about the situation, they know the outlook is dire.
In May of this year (2025), Kelly, her boyfriend and their accomplice were all sentenced to life in prison for human trafficking and kidnapping. The search for Joshlin is still active and the Western Cape Police Commissioner was quoted as saying that the police and the people of South Africa will not rest until they find out what happened Joshlin. During the eight week trial, Kelly and her two accomplices were reported to have shown no remorse. Kelly's other two children are now living with other relatives and are said to be in a safe and better environment.
It is devastating to believe that there's people out there who would do this to their own children and also people out there who would harm children like this. I just can't get my head around it and I hope and pray that Joshlin is found. I know the outlook is not positive but I do hope and my heart breaks for this little girl. Joshlin has been taken into the hearts of the people of South Africa and beyond. Anyone who has come across this case has nothing but heartfelt sympathy for this little angel who didn't have a chance from the day she was born, having been born into such a hard life with an evil mother. The other children, we can but hope, will be able to have some sort of better chance at life now that they have been rescued and taken away from Kelly.
(Kelly Smith and her accomplices. Picture credit: sabcnews.com)This is one of those cases that stays with you and I always have difficulties when it comes to writing about children who've been murdered, abducted or their disappearances being a complete mystery. The world can be a dangerous and very cruel place but you expect your parents to love you and keep you safe, this is not always the case for some children. Joshlin and her siblings deserved so much better.
Further Reading & Sources:
- Kelly Smith: Article | SABC News
- Joshlin Smith: Article | BBC News
- Joshlin Smith: Article | BBC News
- Kelly Smith: Article | The Guardian
- Kelly Smith: Article | Sky News
I will be updating this post if any more news becomes available about Joshlin. I'm sure you will agree that we are all keeping her in our thoughts and prayers.
Thank you for taking the time as always to check out my latest post, especially this one as it's quite a difficult one to get through. I hope you will share this post or whatever information and articles on Joshlin that you can find in the off chance that someone, somewhere might possibly recognise her or know something.
I hope you will join me in my next post, in the meantime, I hope to see you on my socials.
Until next time, stay safe x
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