Joshlin Smith trial: Human trafficking on the rise in SA, justice system lagging - expert

SALDANHA BAY - A human trafficking expert testifying in sentencing proceedings related to the Joshlin Smith trial said that human trafficking was on the rise in the country but the criminal justice system was lagging behind the criminal trend.
 
Joshlin's mother, Kelly Smith, Jacquen Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn face lengthy sentences after being found guilty of kidnapping and human trafficking.
 
The child, who was six years old when she disappeared from her Middelpos home in Saldanha Bay in February 2024, is still missing.
 
Sentencing proceedings commenced on Tuesday in the Western Cape High Court, sitting at the Saldanha Bay Multipurpose Centre.

READ: Judge in Joshlin Smith trial expects new evidence to emerge during sentencing proceedings

State prosecutors requested Dr Marcel van der Watt to compile a report on human trafficking to assist the court in reaching an appropriate sentence for the accused.
 
Van der Watt, who was testifying from the United States (US) via Zoom, is a former South African Police Service (SAPS) investigator with 20 years’ experience in combatting human trafficking.
 
He told the court that the trial presented clear evidence of planning, which shows Kelly Smith's intent to sell the child as early as August 2023.
 
Van der Watt said the accused's actions showed a common purpose to sell Joshlin for financial gain, and a woeful disregard for her safety.
 
He told the court that the mention of Joshlin's light skin and blue eyes as a possible reason for her kidnapping and trafficking means she could have been harmed.
 
Defence attorneys for the accused have started cross-examining Van der Watt about his testimony.