Guilty- Mother in South Africa sold her daughter into slavery
Three people have been convicted of kidnapping and trafficking a six-year-old girl who disappeared a year ago near Cape Town and still hasn’t been found. The trio included the girl’s mother, the mother’s boyfriend and a family friend. All three received a life sentence for the human trafficking charge. They received an additional 10 years for the kidnapping charge reports the BBC.
Not a stretch to see “mother as the mastermind”
It is a common misconception that children who end up in modern slavery have been kidnapped by a stranger. Sadly, evidence often flips the script on this myth, and the highly publicized disappearance of Joshlin Smith is no exception. Described during sentencing as manipulative and someone who told “bald-faced lies”, Joshlin’s mother was potentially at the heart of the tragedy. A social worker connected to the case said it would not be a stretch to see her as “the mastermind behind the trafficking of her own daughter.”
Joshlin’s teacher alleged in court:
“(Joshlin’s mother) told her that her daughter was already ‘on a ship, inside a container, and they were on the way to West Africa’”.
A local pastor also testified saying that prior to the disappearance he had heard Joshlin’s mother talk of selling all three of her children for 20,000 rand ($1,100; £850) each. Further stating that she would be “willing to go as low as $275.”