Joshlin Smith’s mother says police had to ‘protect’ her from angry Middlepos mob
The mother said police needed to take her and her boyfriend to a police station for safety after the mob accused them of having a hand in the six-year-old’s disappearance last Monday.
Residents around Middelpos in the Northern Cape gather on 27 February 2024 to search for six-year-old Joshlin Smith, who went missing eight days ago. Picture: Kayleen Morgan/Eyewitness News
CAPE TOWN - Kelly Smith, the mother of missing six-year-old Joshlin, said police needed to protect her from an angry mob after allegedly pointing fingers at her for her child's disappearance.
Smith said she had to be taken to a place of safety at a police station alongside her boyfriend, Jacquin Appollis.
ALSO READ:
- Frantic search for Joslin Smith enters 7th day
- Search for Joslin Smith (6) involves police, SA Navy and Saldanha Bay residents
- Missing Children SA pleads with the public to not post misleading information about Joslin Smith
Little Joshlin went missing last week Monday from her family home in Middelpos, Saldanha Bay.
Her mother said her boyfriend, who was supposed to be looking after the child, could not account for her whereabouts.
Tensions were running high in the Middelpos community on Tuesday as angry residents spoke of taking the law into their own hands after the search for Joslin was put on hold.
Smith said an angry mob went on a rampage in the community on Monday night, threatening to harm her and Appollis.
"The police had to protect us, and they had nowhere to protect us. So, they put us in the police station - that's the only safe house that they had because the community wanted to hurt me and Boeta [Appollis]."
Smith said the angry residents believe she had something to do with her daughter's disappearance.
“They believe I know something about my child's disappearance, and I know nothing, not even Boeta, none of us know anything about it."
Smith said she would never do anything to harm her child.