Terwyl klein Joshlin Smith, wat vanjaar agt jaar oud word, steeds weg is, gaan haar drie veroordeelde ontvoerders appèl aanteken teen hul skuldigbevinding en lewenslange tronkstraf.
Kelly Smith, Joshlin se ma, Jacquen Appollis en Steveno van Rhyn se regsverteenwoordigers het dokumente ingedien om op 12 en 13 Augustus in die Wes-Kaapse Hooggeregshof in Kaapstad beide die skuldigbevinding en vonnis te betwis.
Regter Nathan Erasmus het hulle op Donderdag 29 Mei in die Veeldoelige Sentrum in Saldanha gevonnis op aanklagte van ontvoering en mensehandel. Dit was ná ‘n uitmergelende hofsaak wat wêreldwyd opslae gemaak het.
Joshlin is op Maandag 19 Februarie 2024 by die Saldanha-polisiekantoor as vermis aangegee. Sy is dié oggend laas in die Middelpos- informele nedersetting langs die Diazville-buurt in Saldanha gesien.
Die Staat het aangevoer dat Joshlin se ma haar vir R20 000 verkoop het aan iemand wat soos ‘n sangoma aangetrek was.
Lourentia Lombaard, wat aanvanklik saam met Smith, Appollis en Van Rhyn in hegtenis geneem is, se lot sal ook in Augustus bepaal word. Sy het kragtens Artikel 204 van die Strafproseswet ‘n staatsgetuie geword en was een van die laaste mense om Joshlin te sien.
Erasmus het Lombaard met die begin van haar getuienis daarop gewys dat sy steeds skuldig bevind kan word. Sy het nou wel teen die ander drie getuig, maar hy het haar optrede om nié die ontvoering en verkoop van ‘n sesjarige kind te probeer keer nie, in sy uitspraak gekritiseer.
Nes hy Kelly as manipulerend en die meesterbrein agter die hele plan beskryf het en Appollis verkwalik het omdat hy as Joshlin se pa-figuur ook niks gedoen het om te keer dat sy in ‘n motor met vreemdelinge wegry nie. Van Rhyn, Appollis se pel, het ook van die plan geweet, maar nie ‘n vinger verroer om die verloop van sake te keer nie.
Eric Ntabazalila, woordvoerder vir die Nasionale Vervolgingsgesag (NVG), het gesê hulle gaan die appèl teenstaan. “Al drie het dokumente ingedien wat beide die skuldigbevinding en vonnis betwis. Die NVG sal die aansoeke teenstaan, en ons is vol vertroue dat daar geen vooruitsigte op sukses is nie,” het Ntabazalila gesê.
ENGLISH VERSION
While little Joshlin Smith, who turns eight this year, is still missing, her three convicted kidnappers are set to appeal their conviction and life sentence.
Kelly Smith, Joshlin’s mother, Jacquen Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn’s legal representatives filed documents to challenge both the conviction and sentence in the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town on 12 and 13 August.
Judge Nathan Erasmus sentenced them on Thursday 29 May at the Multipurpose Centre in Saldanha on charges of kidnapping and human trafficking. This was after a gruelling court case that made headlines around the world.
Joshlin was reported missing at the Saldanha police station on Monday 19 February 2024. She was last seen that morning in the Middelpos informal settlement next to the Diazville suburb in Saldanha.
The State argued that Joshlin’s mother sold her for R20 000 to someone dressed as a sangoma.
The fate of Lourentia Lombaard, who was initially arrested with Smith, Appollis and Van Rhyn, will also be determined in August. She became a state witness under Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act and was one of the last people to see Joshlin.
Erasmus pointed out to Lombaard at the beginning of her evidence that she could still be found guilty. She did testify against the other three, but he criticised her action in not trying to stop the kidnapping and sale of a six-year-old child in his judgment.
He described Kelly as manipulative and the mastermind behind the whole scheme, and blamed Appollis for his lacking of preventative action as the father figure in Joshlin’s live to stop her from being driven off in a car with strangers. Van Rhyn, Appollis’ pal, also knew about the plan but didn’t lift a finger to stop it.
Eric Ntabazalila, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), said they would oppose the appeal. “All three have filed documents challenging both the conviction and sentence. The NPA will oppose the applications, and we are confident that there is no prospect of success,” Ntabazalila said.
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