Cape Town — The Western Cape High Court ruled that the Joshlin Smith trial will be moved to Saldanha Bay and will take place from 3-28 March 2025.
During a pre-trial appearance on Friday, Kelly Smith, her boyfriend Jacquin “Boeta” Appollis and Steven van Rhyn heard the trial will now move to the Multipurpose Centre in Saldanha Bay, IOL reported.
The matter was initially scheduled for pre-trial on Friday 28 February but was expedited as the trial is now expected to hit the ground running. The Multipurpose Centre will serve as a sitting of the high court and will be turned into a full-on courtroom. Judge Nathan Erasmus will preside over the proceedings.
Kelly, Boeta and Steveno are all currently held at Pollsmoor Prison Centre in Cape Town and will now be transferred to Malmesbury Prison for the duration of the trial.
Kelly Smith, Jacquen Appollis and Stevano Van Rhyn appear in the Western Cape High Court. They face kidnapping and human trafficking charges related to the disappearance of six-year-old Joshlin Smith in Saldanha Bay. Joshlin has been missing for more than a year. CP pic.twitter.com/7OT3pmVSZA
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) February 21, 2025
According to TimesLIVE, the trial was moved to Saldanha Bay due to the considerable community interest in the case. Many of the community helped search for Joshlin but were unable to make the 150km journey to Cape Town’s High Court.
Judge Erasmus visited the centre to see its suitability to hold a trial and he said strict security measures would be implemented.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
