Racquel Chantel Smith burst into tears, struggling to walk in leg shackles, as angry former neighbours hurled abuse at her on Thursday, demanding she tell the truth about her missing daughter Joshlin.
“You! Tell us where the child is! Tell the fu\*\*en people,” screamed one woman as she and two co-accused accompanied by several police walked through the informal settlement of Middelpos where the six-year-old girl was allegedly abducted in a plan hatched by her tik-smoking mother and boyfriend in Saldhana Bay.
The trio this week pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping and human trafficking at the start of a circuit sitting of the Western Cape high court in the coastal town.
The court held an inspection in loco (physical examination to gather facts) of the settlement on Thursday. Smith, wearing a white cross on a chain over an orange top, struggled to make her way past pools of stagnant water with a chain dragging along the gravel between her feet, wrapped in sandals.
Children gathered to watch as court officials surveyed the area. Some residents washed clothes in basins while a crowd repeatedly chanted “We want Joshlin, we want Joshlin!” Officials visited the shack built by Smith's boyfriend Jacquin “Boeta” Appollis where they had lived with her three children.
Smith had to be helped by a policewoman to get into the back of a police van as residents were prevented from getting too close by officers before their departure.
The court heard testimony from Sgt Meyer Milstein, the investigating officer from the family violence, child protection, and sexual offences (FCS) unit in Vredenberg.
Milstein was notified about Joshlin going missing just over a year ago. He interviewed Smith — nicknamed Kelly — on February 20 and searched her home. He also met her boyfriend and obtained his statement.
“We started allocating resources and deployed members of the provincial K9 unit and I was helped by a member who had a search and rescue dog as well as a body fluid detection dog, also referred to as a biology dog,” said Milstein.
“They assisted with searching the residence, the biology dog identified a pillowcase and bedsheet. We inspected it and it had stains that resembled blood so these items were collected by a member of the local criminal record centre who also took photographs of the scene.
“I also discovered a pink child-size flip-flop, which was relevant to me as it was in line with the clothing description I had received from Kelly.”
Smith told him Joshlin and her brother were with Appollis when her daughter went missing.
Milstein said on the occasions he interacted with parents of a missing child, depending on the merits of the case and how long the child had been missing, they would be stressed, crying and traumatised. However, he sensed Smith appeared relatively calm while Appollis displayed no emotions.
He described the couple’s shack as having two rooms, one used as a lounge and the other a bedroom.
Milstein said the bedroom was untidy and had one bed with a lot of clothing piled on top.
The trial continues.
**TimesLIVE**