Cape Town – The Western Cape High Court, sitting at the White City Multipurpose Centre in Saldanha Bay, on Monday heard further testimony on the alleged confessions of two suspects in the case of six-year-old Joshlin Smith’s disappearance.
The girl’s mother, Racquel Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis, and their acquaintances Steveno “Steffie” van Rhyn and Lourentia “Renz” Lombaard are charged with kidnapping and human trafficking.
Warrant Officer Heinrich Schmidlin testified that he was instructed to escort Appollis for a medical examination on 5 March 2024, a few days after Joshlin went missing.
Schmidlin noticed injuries on Appollis, which were reportedly sustained during his arrest.
Appollis’ lawyer questioned Schmidlin’s affidavit, but Schmidlin clarified the details.
Watch the proceedings below (Courtesy of SABC News)
Sergeant Dawid Johannes Fortuin, part of the Anti-Kidnapping Task Team, also provided testimony. He detailed a briefing on 3 March involving over 300 officers for a search operation in Middelpos.
Fortuin noticed inconsistencies in the statements of Appollis and van Rhyn about Joshlin’s disappearance, leading him to further question them.
He found it suspicious that the two men did not help search for Joshlin after her disappearance and noted injuries on van Rhyn’s body that he claimed were from a fall.
Both Appollis and van Rhyn denied involvement in Joshlin’s disappearance, despite the inconsistencies in their accounts. Fortuin emphasized the seriousness of the case and urged the suspects to consider their statements carefully.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
