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Joshlin Smith was reported missing from her home in Saldanha Bay in February 2024.
As the trial into the disappearance of Joshlin Smith from Saldanha Bay on the West Coast continues, a group of residents gather outside the court for a prayer each morning.
Joshlin is among the many children that experts say go missing every five hours in South Africa.
She was six at the time of her disappearance near her home in the Middelpos informal settlement in February last year.
Her mother, Kelly Smith, together with her boyfriend, Jacquen Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn, stand accused in connection with her disappearance.
Barbara Arends is among those who gathered for a prayer.
“I think the reason it had such an impact on the community is because there was a suspicion that her mom was involved. And I think this had more of an impact on the community and we actually started praying that time. And when the court moved to Saldana, we prayed regularly, the faithful in our community prayed regularly.”
“When they were looking for her in the Dunes, they prayed. When they were in Middelpos, they prayed. Everywhere we just prayed,” adds Arends.
According to the SAPS Missing Persons Bureau data, a child goes missing every five hours in South Africa. 77% of the children are found, while the remaining 23% are either trafficked, murdered, or never found.
