The detective investigating the disappearance of Joshlin Smith revealed that the child's mother, Racquel ‘Kelly’ Smith, claimed her daughter was no longer in Saldanha Bay just a week after she went missing.
Detective Captain Wesley Lombard testified at the Western Cape High Court sitting in the White City Multipurpose Centre in Diazville, Saldanha Bay on Wednesday.
He said he took over the case a week after the six-year-old was reported missing.
Joshlin was last seen on 19 February, 2024, at her Middelpos home.
Smith, boyfriend Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis and friends Steveno ‘Steffie’ van Rhyn and Lourentia Lombaard were arrested for kidnapping and human trafficking.
The state withdrew the charges against Lombaard after she became a state witness.
Lombard detailed what happened when he met with Smith and her boyfriend.
“Kelly appeared restless, pacing up and down. I couldn’t hear what she was saying to Boeta, but based on her facial expressions, it seemed serious. I decided to approach them.”
Lombard introduced himself and explained that he was there to interview them.
“Kelly responded that she was tired of repeating the same thing in every interview. She said ‘Today, no one is going to swear, no one is going to scream at anyone'.
"I had been informed that when she was at the police station, she was very rude, swearing and shouting, so I assured her that wouldn’t happen. I heard that days before that, she had been rude with the police in Vredenburg.”
Lombard revealed that Smith told him that Joshlin was not in Saldanha Bay.
“I asked her how can a mother forget about her child in just a few days?
“Other parents who have missing children are still longing for them, and they use their resources to look for them.
“Yet she shows no emotions, she didn’t ask for any updates or leads into the case. And then she said ‘what is there to ask?’, Joshlin is out of Saldanha Bay'.”
“She said she must go on with her life as she has two other children.”
Lombard told the court that Smith did not explain what she meant by her daughter being outside Saldanha Bay nor did she talk about who had the child.
“She said her child is gone. Her demeanor changed like she was cross with me.
“She did say that Joshlin’s relationship with Boeta was fine, she didn’t see anything wrong.”
The detective explained that he initially spoke to Boeta first, while Smith smoked outside.
“I asked him about his relationship with Joshlin. He struggled to answer and told me to ask Kelly. I pointed out that since he was living with Kelly and the kids, he must have been a father figure to them.”
Boeta still failed to give a clear response.
“I told him that if anything had happened to Joshlin-if there had been an accident-he could tell me. I reassured him that if he wanted to talk, he was free to do so.”
Before detective Lombard took the stand, Judge Nathan Erasmus explained that there will be a trial within a trial because of the statements Lombaard had made which include claims of torture.
More than 40 witnesses are expected to testify in the trial within a trial.
Earlier in the day during cross-examination, Smith’s lawyer, Rinesh Sivnarain, pressed Lombaard on why she failed to report Joshlin’s disappearance earlier, despite having multiple opportunities.
Lombaard admitted she was scared and had been promised R1000 by Smith to stay quiet. She also confirmed smoking tik and mandrax in the days leading up to Joshlin’s disappearance.
Judge Erasmus pointed out that she had several chances to come clean, including the night police visited her home.
Lombaard stated she only told the truth when approached by the investigating officer in October 2024.
In her evidence, she said she saw Smith walk with Joshlin to a white VW Polo and interacted with a sangoma who had white dots on her face and wore a green outfit.
She then observed the mom receiving something she assumed was money.
After that she went to her home, a short distance from Smith’s shack.
When she returned she claimed she eavesdropped and heard the mom and her boyfriend talk about the plan to sell Joshlin.
Cape Times