By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The State has withdrawn charges against accused number four Laurentia Lombaard in relation to the disappearance of six-year-old Joshlin Smith in Saldanha Bay.
The young Smith went missing from her house in the Middelpos informal settlement in Saldanha Bay nearly a year ago.
Joslin’s mother Racquel Chantal Smith, known as Kelly, her boyfriend, Jacques Rowhan Appolis, Steveno van Rhyn are facing charges of trafficking in persons with the purpose of exploitation and kidnapping.
Smith reported her six-year-old daughter’s disappearance from their home in Saldanha Bay in February, telling police she left the child in the care of Appollis when she went to work.
State prosecutor Aradhana Heeramun, did not elaborate as to why the charges against Lombaard were withdrawn, saying the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) would release a statement at a later stage.
However in the indictment before the court, Lombaard has become a state witness against her former co-accused, Kelly communicated in August 2023 her plan to have her children to be taken away or sold. The plan was for this to happen in January or February, 2024.
The day before Joshlin disappeared, Sunday, February 18, Kelly and Joshlin walked to a white vehicle that was parked near their home. The indictment reads that an unknown woman alighted from the vehicle, spoke to Kelly, handed her something and she and Joshlin returned home.
It further reads that later on the same day, the three accused, including Lombaard had discussed the plan and how the money would be divided.
On the day of Joshlin’s disappearance (February 19), Kelly told her and her brother they would not be attending school and packed Joshlin’s clothes into a bag. She left for work and left the children in the custody of Appolis.
While Kelly was at work, Appolis, van Rhyn, and Lombaard were smoking inside the home while the children were present.
Later that day, Kelly is alleged to have returned home and took Joshlin, along with the bag of clothes she’d packed and the pair left on foot.
The indictment states Joshlin and Kelly got into a white vehicle and drove away.
Later that evening, Kelly started looking for Joshlin and reported her missing to police.
The arrests of more suspects cannot be ruled out at this stage and more charges may also be added to the indictment.
The State confirmed that the matter was finally ready to be transferred to the Western Cape High Court.
Heeramun explained: “I can confirm today that this matter will be transferred in terms of section 75 of the Criminal Procedure Act to the high court for a pre-trial conference.”
The case has been postponed to January 31 and has been set down for pre-trial in the Western Cape High Court.