Kelly Smith showed no emotion to Joshlin's disappearance because she was on anti-depressants, court told
Earlier this week, the first police officer to respond on the day Joshlin went missing told the court that Smith did not behave like a mother who had lost her child when they met her.
Joshlin’s Smith’s mother, Kelly Smith, alongside her two co-accused, Stevano van Rhyn and Jacquen Appollis, appears before the Western Cape High Court sitting at the Saldanha Bay Multi-Purpose centre on 6 March 2025. Picture: Carlo Petersen/EWN
SALDANHA BAY - A defence attorney for missing girl Joshlin Smith's mother said that the reason she showed no emotion when her child disappeared was because she was taking anti-depressants.
Kelly Smith, Jacquen Appollis and Stevano van Rhyn are charged with kidnapping and human trafficking for Joshlin's disappearance.
The accused are on trial in the Western Cape High Court sitting at the Saldanha Bay Multi-Purpose Centre.
ALSO READ:
• Joshlin Smith: Detective denies knowing about 2 of the accused being tortured before their arrests
• Detective relates how his team unsuccessfully followed leads to find Joshlin Smith
• Joshlin Smith trial: Witness detects lies from mother and co-accused
Defence attorneys on Friday tried to discredit the State's fourth witness, child protection unit detective, Sergeant Meyer Milstein.
In his testimony, Milstein told the court that Kelly Smith showed no signs of distress when he took her statement a day after Joshlin went missing.
Earlier this week, the first police officer to respond on the day Joshlin went missing told the court that Smith did not behave like a mother who had lost her child when they met her.
Smith's attorney, Rinesh Sivnarain, told the court that Smith was on anti-depressants when Milstein interviewed her.
Sivnarain said that Smith was prescribed the medication to cope with the ordeal and cooperate during the investigation.
The trial continues on Monday.