A Facebook user – Greg Wells-Clifton of NGO Pay It Forward – claims to be in possession of footage he believes could be missing Saldanha Bay girl Joslin Smith. However, the man has been accused of spreading “misinformation”.

The user has gone as far as stating that the imagery has been “confirmed” to be the little girl, who appears alive and well.

The now seven-year-old girl disappeared outside her home in the Middelpos informal settlement located in Diazville. Her mother, Kelly Smith, her partner, Jacquin “Boeta” Apollis, and a male friend, Steveno van Rhyn, are accused of selling the child to finance their drug habit.

In several Facebook posts this week, Gregg Wells-Clifton shared several still images of a little girl he believed to be Joslin Smith.

The images are taken from footage in a store, the location of which is being kept a secret.

In the grainy image, a little girl wearing a pink T-shirt appears in public, wearing.

The NGO founder claimed that he had approached the Diazville community to confirm whether the child in the images could be the missing girl.

On Friday morning, Gregg shared: “The Child in the footage we have has been confirmed as being Joslin. NO, WE HAVE NOT FOUND HER”.

In another post, he added: “Community members who are of the firm, very firm in fact opinion, that who we are looking at, is Joslin. I’m talking people who know the child, personally”.

Gregg added that he would not be posting sensitive information from his investigation but hoped that his actions could lead to the discovery of the missing girl.

More than a year later, Joslin Smith is still missing. Her mother and two others have been charged with child trafficking and kidnapping.
Images via Facebook: Gayton McKenzie

NOT WORKING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT

Speaking to The South African, Gregg Wells-Clifton said that he was not working with law enforcement in his investigation.

He shared: “Passing info I receive for them to decide if it is relevant or otherwise. That I have done and have always been open about it. What’s important in this is that the information is received by who can do what needs doing, if anything”.

Authorities have not responded to the man’s claims.

‘HARMING THE INVESTIGATION’

Meanwhile, anti-gender-based violence advocates Women For Change have condemned the Facebook user’s publishing of allegations relating to Joslin Smith.

It shared in a tweet: “The information circulating in a recent post and article is inaccurate. It has NOT been confirmed that the person in the image is Joslin. Sharing unverified information can harm the investigation and derail efforts for justice”.

The pre-trial of Joslin’s mother and two others has been moved by the Western Cape High Court to Saldanha Bay to accommodate the community.

The trio are charged with child trafficking and kidnapping, and their case has been adjourned to 3 March.