Photo: Getty Images
A South African mother has been convicted of kidnapping and trafficking charges after allegedly selling her six-year-old daughter's eyes and skin to a local healer.
On Friday (May 2), Kelly Smith was convicted of trafficking her daughter, Joshlin, 6, following her disappearance in February 2024, per PEOPLE.
Smith's boyfriend, Jacquen Appollis, and the couple's friend, Steveno van Rhyn, were also found guilty of kidnapping and trafficking charges in connection to Joshlin's disappearance.
During Smith's trial, a neighbor testified that the mother informed her of plans to sell Joshlin to a traditional healer who "wanted her for her eyes and skin." The mother also allegedly said she "did something silly" and "sold my child to a sangoma." A neighbor also testified that Smith offered money to those who knew about the plan to keep them silent.
Joshlin's teacher testified that when she asked Smith where her daughter had been, the mother said the six-year-old was "on a ship, inside a container, and they were on the way to West Africa.”
The woman who was believed to be the healer was reportedly arrested in connection to Joshlin's disappearance, but was later released due to lack of evidence.
Smith, Appollis, and van Rhyn maintained their innocence in Joshlin's disappearance. The mother reportedly broke down in tears as her guilty verdict was read in court. The trio faces the possibility of life in prison.
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