Amanda Daniels said that Smith, who was convicted earlier this month, had ripped the family apart and still refused to take responsibility for her actions
A human expert trafficking testified in aggravation of sentence on Tuesday, saying the sale of the child was premeditated and there was plenty of time to stop it
Sergeant Dawid Fortuin was being cross-examined by attorney Nobahle Mkabayi, acting for accused two, Steveno van Rhyn
Brigadier Leon Hanana told the court he had not personally interviewed the suspects and had received no reports of misconduct
Judge Nathan Erasmus said online harassment threatened trust in South Africa’s justice system and caused ‘suspicion’
Lourentia Lombaard irks the judge with her ‘assumptions’, while Kelly Smith is again portrayed as a callous mother
Lourentia Lombaard admitted she repeatedly withheld information from police about the alleged sale of the child, blaming fear, anger, drug use and a promised R1 000 payment
Judge Nathan Erasmus said this was not the first time Lorentia Lombaard became unwell ‘when it came to crunch time’
Judge Nathan Erasmus provided a synopsis of events on Monday, given the often confusing testimony of the state’s star witness
Judge Nathan Erasmus had earlier cautioned Lourentia Lombaard that her testimony would determine her credibility
State witness Lourentia Lombaard continued her testimony on Monday, sharing chilling details in the kidnapping and human trafficking trial
Statistics are scant, but the foster care system in South Africa has its fair share of critics. There is a severe backlog, inadequate resources and a shortage of trained foster parents, meaning high turnover rates
The Joslin Smith trial reveals a tangled narrative of addiction, abuse and contradictions, as questions arise about her role in the child’s disappearance
A ‘Nigerian man’ allegedly told Smith that the child was in a container, on a boat, heading for West Africa, the court heard
Siliziwe Mbambo also said that according to the case file, the mother of Joshlin Smith threatened to assault her own grandmother
The mother of Joslin wept as her former employer, Carlyn Zeegers, described her as a ‘good mother’ in the kidnapping and human trafficking trial
A second police witness on Tuesday told the court that Kelly Smith’s partner was uncooperative when questioned
The first witness said Joshlin’s mother, Kelly Smith, did not seem ‘worried’ when she was reporting her missing child
The state says the matter is ready to be transferred to the high court
Police Minister Bheki Cele said the police service is working with Interpol and other organisations after a tip-off that the child could be overseas This content is restricted to registered users and subscribers. Get Your Free Account The Mail & Guardian is committed to providing all our readers with the best possible experience. Please register your free account now. Your registration is your first step to becoming an M&G community member. Register Registration enables: – M&G newsletters access – notifications – the best possible experience Already registered? Login here Want to subscribe and get even more benefits? Explore our subscription offers
