Joshlin Smith trial: Probation officer accuses Kelly Smith of being a manipulative liar

SALDANHA BAY - A social worker who was the probation officer for the accused in the Joshlin Smith trial says the missing girl's mother, Kelly Smith, is a manipulative liar. 

Smith, Jacquen Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn are set to be sentenced this week after being found guilty of kidnapping and human trafficking.

Sentencing proceedings started in the Western Cape High Court sitting in the Saldanha Bay multi-purpose centre on Tuesday.

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Probation officer Errol Pietersen on Tuesday presented the court with pre-sentencing reports he compiled related to his assessment of the accused.

Pietersen told the court that Smith made bold-faced lies when he interviewed her at Pollsmoor prison on 21 May 2025.

He told the court that Smith fabricated lies about being rejected by her parents and claimed to have been sexually abused as a child.

Pietersen said Smith's own mother and aunt described her as manipulative.

"It is therefore not a stretch to conclude that Kelly Smith is the mastermind behind the trafficking of her own daughter. It is also quite disconcerting that Miss Smith violated her daughter's trust in her not only as her provider but also as her protector," said Pietersen.

Pietersen recommended that the court impose the maximum sentence on Smith.