The family of missing Saldanha meisie Joshlin Smith say they have not lost hope of finding her alive.
Lorita Yon, Joshlin’s paternal ouma, says she firmly believes her granddaughter is still alive.
She was reacting to an American psychic who claimed to have made contact with the missing child “on the other side”.
The psychic, Kandis Starr, posted a video on TikTok this week, claiming that she has communicated with the six-year-old, who disappeared without a trace on 19 February.
@kandisstarr #channelingenergy #joslinsmith #southafrica #southafricannews #southafricatiktok #paranormal #tiktok #energyreadersoftiktok ♬ original sound - KANDIS STARR
On her video, Starr had pictures of a playhouse, a teddy bear, Elmo from Sesame Street, and of Joshlin, where she claims to be channelling the missing girl.
The video is over nine-minutes long, and Joshlin “speaks” to her via static noises.
The Grade 1 learner from Diazville Primary School in Saldanha Bay has been missing for 190 days now.
Joshlin’s mother, Kelly Smith, her boyfriend, Jacquen “Boeta” Appolis, Stevano van Rhyn, and Lourentia Lombaard are currently in jail for her disappearance.
The group faces charges of kidnapping and trafficking in persons for the purpose of exploitation and are expected to appear in Vredenberg Magistrate’s court on 16 September, from where it will be moved to the Western Cape High Court.
@kandisstarr #southafricatiktok #joslinsmith #spiritbox #southafrica #channeling ♬ original sound - KANDIS STARR
The State alleges Joshlin was sold for R20 000.
During the channelling session, Starr explains that the teddy bear had a REM (Radiating Electro-Magnetic) Pod used for “paranormal investigations”. When a spirit interacts, a static-like sound can be heard.
“Were you put on a ship?” Starr asked Joshlin, but there was no static, which she explains in the comments meant “no“.
She goes on to state the claims that mom Kelly had left Joshlin with men who she thought she knew and they hurt Joshlin, and this time the static-like noise became loud.
When asked if she knew if her mother knew these guys were hurting her, again, the noise erupted.
However, there was no “answer” when asked if her mother knew where she was right now.
A slight sound could also be heard when asked if witchcraft had been done on her.
The sound erupts again once when asked if Boeta had hurt Joshlin.
Starr also claims that Joshlin answered “yes” when asked if Boeta’s friend (Van Rhyn) assisted in moving her and if her mother ever hurt her.
During the session, Joshlin also “responded positively” when asked if she had toys where she was, if she was able to play, and if she had found happiness.
When asked in the comments, Starr “confirmed” to her viewers that the young girl had died.
She says: “Channelling can be done on someone alive or passed.. [but] when a spirit interacts with the REM Pod aka teddy bear, they are passed [sic].
However Joshlin’s ouma does not believe this.
Speaking to the Daily Voice yesterday, Lorita said: “No, I don’t believe that. My gut is telling me that Joshlin is still alive.”
But she believes that Kelly had something to do with Joshlin’s kidnapping.
The ouma says: “I say it now and I will say it again, Kelly does not show emotions about Joshlin’s disappearance.”
She also says she isn’t bothered by the psychic’s words, adding: “I do not believe in those things.”
dailyvoice@inl.co.za