The parents of Reeva Steenkamp, who was killed by Oscar Pistorius in 2013, are rejecting his application for parole a decade after her tragic death.
Even though the former Paralympian has served half his thirteen-year and five-month sentence, June and Barry Steenkamp call for him to remain in jail.
June and Barry, the parents of Reeva Steenkamp, reject Oscar Pistorius' application for parole a decade after he killed their daughter.
Picture by The SouthAfrican
In an interview with MailOnline, the couple shared their reasons for opposing Pistorius's parole. They claim that he has shown "no remorse" for his actions and has refused to acknowledge his intent to kill Reeva, despite meeting with her father last year as part of the Victim-Offender Dialogue program, which aims to facilitate the rehabilitation of offenders being considered for parole.Barry told Pistorius during the meeting that he had shot his daughter deliberately. Still, the former athlete denied it, sticking to his story that he thought it was an intruder. Barry said that if Pistorius had told him the truth, he would have been a free man by now, and he would have let the law take its course over his parole. However, since Pistorius has not admitted his guilt, Barry believes he is a murderer who should remain in jail.
Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp on their happy moment back in 2013. Picture by eNCA
June Steenkamp, Reeva's mother, did not attend the meeting with Pistorius but instead wrote him a letter that he read during the meeting with Barry. She revealed that she still bears animosity toward Pistorius and hates him for taking so much away from them and their daughter. She stated that she only forgave him before because of her Christian beliefs, but she takes it back now, as he has done too much to them.
He shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine's Day in 2014, and in December 2015, he was convicted of culpable homicide and handed a six-year sentence. However, his charge was later changed to murder, and his jail term was increased to 13 years following an unsuccessful appeal in November 2017.
Meanwhile, Pistorius is preparing for a parole hearing application in 2023 after serving half his sentence.
According to South African law, offenders become eligible for parole after serving half their sentence. However, the parole hearing does not guarantee that the offender will be granted an early release. In Pistorius's case, his fate will be decided in the coming months.
Source: IOL
Source: https: //www.iol.co.za/news/crime-and-courts/reeva-Steenkamp's-parents-will-reject-oscar
