The fourth accused in the case of the disappearance of six-year-old Joslin Smith has abandoned her bail application in the Vredenburg Magistrate’s Court, on the Cape West Coast. Lorentia Lombaard’s case has also been postponed to the 13 May, when she will join three other co-accused in the matter who are already in custody.
One of the three other accused is Joslin’s mother, Kelly Smith.
Joslin went missing from her home in the Middelpos informal settlement, in Saldanha more than a month ago.
Lombaard faces charges of human trafficking and kidnapping. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila says it will oppose a bail application if it is submitted at a later stage.
“She has indicated that she’s abandoning her bail at this stage and the case has been postponed to the 13th of May for her to join the other three accused and for further investigation. If she does apply for bail, we will oppose it because it is a schedule 6 offence and we don’t think it is in the interest of justice for her to be released on bail.”
The NPA says there is a possibility that more charges will be added for all the accused to face, as their investigation continues.
“They are all charged with trafficking in people for exploitation as well as kidnapping, those are the charges that we have at this stage. More charges are likely to come up depending on the outcome of the investigation as the investigation is still continuing.”
While the situation outside court was calm, a small group of community members from the Saldanha Bay attended court proceedings.
Diego Dietdricks is one of the concerned residents.
“We want answers, we want to know where Joslin is. She must come back, we want our daughter, she’s so beautiful. You can’t think why these people did to such to a kid like that, she’s so beautiful. “
Search for the missing child continues while more arrests are yet to be made.
