A South African mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, has been sentenced to life in prison for the kidnapping and trafficking of her six-year-old daughter, Joshlin Smith, who vanished in February 2024.

Kelly, along with her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and friend Steveno van Rhyn, was convicted after disturbing claims emerged. Witnesses testified Kelly spoke of selling her children for as little as $275. One neighbor said she sold Joshlin to a traditional healer “for her eyes and skin.”

Judge Nathan Erasmus, who delivered the sentence, called the case a tragic failure of the system. “She was in need of social services for a prolonged period,” he said, referencing a 2016 complaint by Kelly’s grandmother that was ignored. “We failed.”

Kelly had battled addiction and homelessness for years. A social worker described her life as “in chaos,” and unfit for raising a child. A family friend who once cared for Joshlin said, “We could have provided for her better than her mother.”

Joshlin is still missing. Police continue to search tirelessly for answers.