A South African mother and her two accomplices have been sentenced to life in prison for selling her then 6-year-old daughter. The case sparked public outrage and a wave of sympathy in the country after the child disappeared last year, reported "Reuters", reports BTA.
Kelly Smith, her partner Jacqueline Apolis and their friend Steveno van Ryn were found guilty of kidnapping and trafficking minor Jocelyn Smith.
During the trial, a witness revealed that Kelly Smith told her that she sold her daughter to a sangoma - a traditional healer - for 20,000 South African rand (about 1,100 US dollars). The girl was wanted for "her eyes and skin", she said.
Despite extensive police efforts, Joshlyn Smith has yet to be found.
In sentencing, Judge Nathan Erasmus emphasized that the defendants' drug addiction could not serve as an explanation or mitigating circumstance.
"There is nothing that can redeem this guilt or justify a lighter sentence than the most severe possible", he said.