Cape Town: New arrest in missing six-year-old case 

After six-year-old Joslin Smith vanished from her home in Saldanha Bay last month, outside of Cape Town, a new suspect has been charged with a connection to the case, reports Euronews and AFP. 

On the 18th of March, the 32-year-old woman was formally charged with kidnapping and human trafficking during a hearing at the Vredenburg Magistrates’ Court in the Western Cape province.

The newly apprehended suspect is set to undergo a bail hearing scheduled for 25 March.

The arrest comes after a list of other individuals currently in custody connected to Joslin’s disappearance. Joslin’s mother, Kelly Smith and her boyfriend, Jacquen Appollis were arrested on the 7th of March facing charges of kidnapping and trafficking. 

READ: Morocco: Police dismantle new-born trafficking ring 

The prosecution alleges that Ms Smith instructed Mr Appollis, and another suspect who was also accused, Stefano Van Rhyn, to sell Joslin for 20,000 rand (£835) to a traditional healer. 

Before Joslin’s disappearance, she was left in the care of Appollis, who maintains his plea of innocence in the matter. 

Notably, a traditional healer who was initially detained has been released due to insufficient evidence.

During the court case for Joslin’s mother and her boyfriend, a huge crowd gathered outside the court chanting: “Bring back Joslin”. 

Kelly Smith previously conveyed to The Daily Voice, “My motherly instincts are telling me my daughter is still alive and in this area. We will find her; I will walk on foot to find her. I will look in every little shack, I’m going to do it by myself if I have to”, determined to find her daughter. 

Joslin’s family, along with the community remain in anguish as her whereabouts are still unknown, despite extensive efforts to find her, including the navy, drones and sniffer dogs. 

Kelly Smith and other defendants are expected to appear in court again on the 13th of May. 

Statistics from the South African Police Serving Missing Persons Bureau (SAPS) reveal that on average, a child goes missing every five hours in Africa. Though 77% of the children are found, 23% of children are either never found, trafficked or Dead. 

Despite this, authorities and loved ones have not given up hope and remain positive that Joslin will be found. 

Euronews/ AFP.