A South African town, plagued by the disappearance of a six-year-old girl missing for over 10 days, has received support in its quest for answers.
Joshlin Smith vanished from her home in an informal settlement in Saldanha Bay, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province, last Monday. Her disappearance has captured national attention, highlighting the alarming rate of missing children, with reports indicating one child goes missing every five hours in the country.
A reward of 100,000 rand ($5,100; £4,100) has been offered for information leading to the girl’s location, prompting extensive searches of sewers and pits in the area.
Concerns arose when reports suggested police were scaling back their efforts. In response, Mayor Andrè Truter appealed to the provincial government for additional support. As a result, more investigators, drones, dog units, and rescue volunteers were deployed to aid in the search on Thursday.
The girl was last seen under the care of her mother’s boyfriend, Jacquin Appollis, who was unable to provide information about her whereabouts. Amidst the search efforts, there have been reports of angry mobs searching homes in the area.
Joshlin’s mother revealed to local news service EWN that some community members had accused her and Mr. Appollis of involvement in her daughter’s disappearance. However, both individuals have vehemently denied any wrongdoing.