Four people have been charged with trafficking and kidnapping in relation to missing Joshlin Smith’s case. Among those who were slapped with charges includes the six-year-old’s mother, Kelly Smith and her boyfriend Jacquine Appolis.

They also face charges of human trafficking for purposes of exploitation and kidnapping. The accused appeared in the Vredenburg Magistrate’s Court this morning.

Little Joshlin went missing while playing outside her home in Saldanha Bay on February 19th. As the court proceedings kicked off, police asked members of the public to clear the courtroom to make space for the families of the accused and the police’s top brass.

Journalists however raised concern that “TikTok influencers” and a representative from the Patriotic Alliance were allowed to remain in the courtroom.