‘Joshlin Smith case shows children’s safety is a community effort’

The Teddy Bear Foundation says the highly publicized court case of the disappearance of Joshlin Smith has highlighted the need for communities to work together to protect children.

Joshlin, who was six-years-old at the time, disappeared from her home in Saldanha Bay on the 19th of February 2024.

Western Cape High Court Judge Nathan Erasmus has convicted Joshlin’s mother Kelly Smith and her co-accused, Jacquen Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn of kidnapping and trafficking the little girl.

The Foundation’s Clinical Director Shaheera Omar says the protection of children is the responsibility of everyone.

“This is indeed one of the greatest lessons learned that child protection is not your business, it’s not my business, and it’s our business. It’s a community business that we all need to ensure the safeguarding, protection and wellbeing of children. But coming to issue of questions, there are so many questions unanswered. There is no closure, unfortunately its unfinished business and that requires a lot of work to uncover what actually happened.”