Jacquen Appollis, Steveno van Rhyn and Kelly Smith are on trial for kidnapping and human trafficking in the White City Multipurpose Centre in Saldanha Bay, in connection with the disappearance of six-year-old Joshlin Smith.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers
Steveno van Rhyn, one of the accused in the Joshlin Smith case, said while he never saw the child on the day she disappeared, he was tortured and nearly killed by police during interrogation.
This was revealed when his lawyer, Nobahle Mkabayi, read his plea explanation into evidence on Wednesday.
Van Rhyn, alongside Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis and Kelly Smith all pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping and trafficking in persons.
The trio is on trial at the Western Cape High Court, sitting in the White City Multipurpose Centre in Saldanha.
Van Rhyn, a cell phone repairman, stated that he and Boeta are friends who often spent time together and used drugs. He was also acquainted with Kelly through her relationship with Boeta and was aware that she had three children living with them.
On February 19, 2024, van Rhyn said he was on his way to a second-hand dealer in appliances when he first popped in at Boeta’s place. He said he found Laurentia Lombaard, previously accused in the matter, at the house and asked the duo to ‘make him something to smoke (drugs)’ but they did not have anything.
He said on his way back from the second-hand dealer, he went around to Boeta again. This time, Lombaard handed him the pipe and Boeta ‘put the cream in’ (mandrax). At the time he did not see any of Kelly’s children. After he finished smoking the drugs, he left. Boeta and Lombaard remained.
After returning to the second-hand dealer with his microwave and declining the R30 offer, van Rhyn went back to Boeta's house, where he found Boeta and Lombaard still present. He and Lombaard negotiated and agreed to purchase her cell phone for R50.
While she was leaving, he said he heard her call for Joshlin to go to her house and check on her sleeping baby.
He and Boeta left to sell his microwave and were sure they could get R100. The prospective seller told them to collect the money after an hour.
Back at Boeta’s place, van Rhyn said he was sitting outside fixing cell phones. Later, Boeta left to fetch the money but came back empty-handed.
Still outside and around 5pm, Smith returned home, but he could not remember if she had the youngest child with her. He overheard Smith telling Boeta they still needed to refill the gas cylinder. He went with them.
After they came back, again, van Rhyn said he remained outside fixing the cell phones when Kelly and Boeta left to buy drugs. On their return, he went inside and they smoked the drugs. Once done, he went back to fixing the cell phones outside.
“After an hour, I heard Kelly calling Joshlin and Joshlin did not respond. I told her I remember (Lombaard) calling Joshlin to go check on her baby who was sleeping,” he said.
He said he never saw Joshlin on that day and Lombaard never came back. He accompanied Smith to Lombaard’s house, she told them she returned to the house.
Van Rhyn said they looked around in the area but in vain. It was dark and almost load shedding and he told Boeta to buy him drugs, he wanted to go home. They left Smith looking for Joshlin.
He said after they were done smoking, he had more items he wanted to sell, he placed them in a bag and walked Boeta and a friend halfway when the electricity came back on after load shedding. He maintains he never saw Smith’s children that day.
On March 4, 2024, van Rhyn said he was hitch-hiking to Saldanha from Vredenburg and was with his cousin’s boyfriend, they were offered a lift in a white double cab bakkie and when they reached their stop, he was told to remain in the vehicle.
“I started panicking and enquired why I was not allowed to leave. I realised the occupants were police officials and they were armed. They drove with me until Jacobs Bay Beach. We were followed by another double cab bakkie,” van Rhyn said.
He claimed he was tortured.
“I was handcuffed and taken to the bakkie. I was ordered to lie down flat with my stomach on the back of the bakkie. I was assaulted. After some time of the assault, I was taken from the back of the bakkie close to the ocean,” he said.
“They pinched my testicles. Opened my mouth and forced a gun inside my mouth, promising to kill me and burning me inside the sand or throw me in the ocean,” he said.
A man who informed the group they were trespassing allegedly interrupted the attack.
He further stated he was taken to the Sea Board Offices where the assault continued. Van Rhyn said several police officers were present and he was threatened with being killed.
“They removed the handcuffs and ordered me to take off my sweater. I removed my sweater and they handcuffed me again. I was hanging mid-air. A plastic bag was placed over my head while I was hit on my head, legs, feet, and hands,” he said.
“I could not breathe. This pain was so severe that I felt that I was going to die. This was repeated several times. They slightly pushed my forehead so I could swing,” van Rhyn said.
He further explained that for the torture to stop, he shook his head, and they removed the plastic bag.
"I said that I am ready to talk even though they have my detailed statement telling them what I know. I realised if I don’t tell them what they want to hear, they will kill me,” he said.
Van Rhyn further stated when he went for a medical examination, he was warned not to divulge any details of his injuries or he would be killed.
The trial continues.
Cape Times
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