Was immunity justified in Joshlin Smith case?

THE Joshlin Smith case has shaken the country for more than a year. The search for the missing green-eyed Saldanha Bay girl has brought pain, frustration and, most of all, unanswered questions.

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Now another question hangs over the case: was it right to grant Lourentia “Renz” Lombaard full immunity from prosecution?

Judge Nathan Erasmus ruled that Lombaard gave honest and frank testimony. Her evidence helped convict Joshlin’s mother, Racquel Smith, and two others of kidnapping and human trafficking. Under Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act, that earned her full protection from the law.