Joslin Smith (Archive photo: Facebook)
The police in the Western Cape have strongly condemned the alleged new developments in the disappearance of Joshlin Smith, which have been circulating on social media for the past few days, as fake news.
Capt. FC van Wyk, police spokesperson, confirmed when asked that the police are aware of several false posts claiming that a device was used to locate her decomposed remains and that clothing items were found with her DNA.
“It is on this basis that we, as a law enforcement agency, want to warn social media users against the posting of unverified information. A plea is hereby addressed to social media users to use the platforms responsibly and to verify the source as well as the authenticity of the information before it is shared.”
The missing Joshlin Smith from Saldanha in the Western Cape. (Photo: Western Cape Police)
Van Wyk says the police are conducting an inquest after a decomposed body of an adult man was found in an open field in Jacobs Bay on the West Coast on Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
“Police officers have attended to the case, but the extreme weather conditions of the past few days have made it currently impossible to identify the body. A post-mortem examination will be carried out to determine the cause of death, age and race of the person.”
Police say they welcome any new information that will shed light on what really happened to Joshlin and pledge to subject it to the required rigorous questioning.
In one of the posts being circulated, it is claimed that a cadaver dog (a specific dog trained to detect the smell of human remains) and a private team led to a decomposed remains in the Saldanha dunes.
Allegations are also made that “Danie’s device” confirmed findings.
It is understood that Danie Krugel is the same retired policeman who claimed in 2007 that he may have located the remains of girls in the case of Gert van Rooyen.
The post also claims that items believed to be found at the scene belong to Joshlin.
Maroela Media previously reported that Joshlin disappeared from the Middelpos informal settlement on 19 February 2024 and is still missing after a large-scale search.
Jacquin Appollis, Steveno van Rhyn and Kelly Smith in court on Saldanha. (Archive photo: Elisma van der Watt/Maroela Media)
Joshlin’s mother, Kelly Smith, was sentenced to life in prison for human trafficking and ten years for kidnapping, together with Appollis and Van Rhyn, on 29 May last year. The sentences are being served concurrently and the three’s names have been recorded in the national child protection register.
Joshlin’s convicted kidnappers also failed in August with their applications for leave to appeal in the Cape Town High Court. They indicated at that stage that they might approach the Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein.
Although the respective legal teams still maintain that the Court of Appeal will indeed rule in their favour, the defense has still not approached the court.