A mother and two co-accused pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and human trafficking charges on Monday as their trial got under way in connection with the disappearance of her six-year-old daughter Joshlin Smith.

A South African woman went on trial Monday charged with kidnapping and selling her young daughter in a case that gained national attention. Kelly Smith is charged alongside her partner and another man over the disappearance of her daughter Joshlin more than a year ago. Smith — whose full name is Racquel Chantel Smith — was charged with kidnapping and human trafficking.

A South African woman has gone on trial charged with kidnapping and selling her 6-year-old daughter in a case that gained national attention.

A mother and two co-accused pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and human trafficking charges on Monday as their trial got under way in connection with the disappearance of her six-year-old daughter Joshlin Smith.

A South African woman is on trial for allegedly kidnapping and selling her six-year-old daughter. Public outrage grows as shocking trafficking allegations emerge, with the mother and two co-defendants facing life sentences.

The prosecution claims Kelly Smith, who has pleaded not guilty, had been planning to sell Joshlin and her two other children since August 2023.