By Rachel Mohamed
The trial of Joslin Smith, the young girl who was purported to be kidnapped and trafficked, is currently underway at the Western Cape High Court in Saldanha Bay on the Cape West Coast. Shocking revelations have emerged, including that she was allegedly sold to a sangoma for R20,000. However, many questions about her current whereabouts remain unanswered.
Speaking on VOC’s Breakfast Show on Friday, crime expert Simon Howell weighed in on the case, highlighting the numerous uncertainties surrounding her disappearance. “I think the key development has been the allegations of misconduct during interrogations,” he noted.
Last week, a significant portion of the proceedings shifted focus to what has essentially become a trial within a trial. This phase has centred on testimonies from witnesses who allege they were assaulted and coerced by law enforcement officers during interrogations conducted last year.
Howell emphasized that the court has spent considerable time evaluating the circumstances under which confessions were obtained. This scrutiny raises serious concerns about the reliability of those statements—confessions that could prove pivotal to the outcome of the trial.
Listen for the full interview:
VOC News
Photo: Supplied
