What is known about the day 6-year-old girl went missing after mum sold her for £800

Warning: This article contains details of child abuse that some readers may find upsetting

A six-year-old girl has been missing since February 2024 after a court heard that her mother sold her to a 'healer' for £800.

The mother of Joshlin Smith, along with two other men, were sentenced to life on Thursday (29 May) on child kidnapping and trafficking charges.

It was heard in court that Racquel 'Kelly' Smith, from Saldanha Bay, near Cape Town in South Africa, was a drug addict who sold her daughter because she needed the money.

At the end of the eight-week trial, Smith was sentenced alongside her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn.

Here is everything that is known about the day Joshlin went missing...

The girl's mother, Racquel 'Kelly' Smith, has been sentenced to life behind bars (RODGER BOSCH/AFP via Getty Images)

What happened on the day Joshlin went missing?

Joshlin was last seen at her home in Saldanha Bay, a corrugated iron structure where she lived with her mother, her mother's partner, her brother and younger half-sister, on 19 February, 2024.

State witness Laurentia Lombaard said she was at the small shack smoking drugs with Appollis and van Rhyn on the day.

She testified that Joshlin started school a few weeks before she went missing and that she and the brother stayed home that day because they didn't have clean uniforms.

Appollis was left in charge of the children, it was heard, while the mother was said to have been in and out during the day. She would occasionally come back home to smoke.

Unfortunately, no further information was provided to the court about what happened on the day, as Joshlin's disappearance was reported at 21:00. Evidence in the trial, however, suggested that it was likely that the young girl went missing in the afternoon time.

Smith and the two men were subsequently arrested before the trial began in March 2025.

During last week's sentencing, the judge wasn't able to confirm who the child was sold to or exactly what happened to her.

Joshlin Smith, six, has been missing since February 2024 (Handout)

Why Smith sold her daughter to a 'healer'

A local pastor testified that he heard Smith talk of selling her children for 20,000 rand (£850) each, but would be happy in accepting a much a lower figure.

Another woman alleged to the court that Smith had sold Joshlin to a traditional healer, who allegedly wanted the child for her 'eyes and skin', according to the BBC.

Nearby neighbour Kelly Zeegers said Smith worked for her part-time to support her family and pay for the drug habit.

Zeegers testified in court that she would pay her with groceries instead of cash 'to make sure that she and the children have a plate of food'.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.