The investigation into the disappearance of Joshlin Smith has escalated with the shocking arrest of the six-year-old’s mother, Kelly Smith and her boyfriend, Jacquin Appollis.
UPDATE: Suspects in the Joshlin Smith disappearance are due to appear at the Vredenburg Magistrate’s Court, on Thursday. Here is the latest development in the search for the missing six-year-old.
Joshlin Smith investigation takes shocking turn
After a day of rollercoaster emotions stirred by a mixture of embargoed news slipping through the cracks and misinformation, authorities have, at last, cleared the air on speculation around a breakthrough in the search for the missing Grade 1 pupil.
According to police, Kelly Smith and her boyfriend, Jacquin, were arrested on Tuesday, along with another woman, who, at this time, is unidentified, for their alleged involvement in the disappearance of Joshlin Smith.
While authorities have yet to issue a statement, sources close to the investigation revealed that Kelly and Jacquin allegedly sold Joshlin for a total of R20 000.
Moreover, Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie, who’s been very close to the investigation, claimed the six-year-old was allegedly sold off to a sangoma.
The couple has been arrested and is expected to appear in court on Thursday.
Joshlin Smith is still nowhere to be found and authorities, it’s believed, are working tirelessly in a race against time to, hopefully, trace the six-year-old to the person to whom she was trafficked.
At this time, investigators presume Joshlin is still alive.
Joshlin Smith went missing on Monday, 19 February 2024. According to various accounts from the police, as well as Kelly and Jacquin, the six-year-old was left in the care of the mother’s boyfriend.
Jacquin insisted he allowed Joshlin to play with friends, albeit the Grade 1 pupil was kept at home that day due to an undisclosed illness.
Despite several allegations and rumours linking Kelly and Jacquin to the child’s disappearance, police had, at the time, not considered suspects in the matter.