Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Rachel Hagan

Oscar Pistorius' murdered girlfriend's mum to speak in court as he seeks release

Oscar Pistorius will hear from the mother of his murder victim girlfriend for the first time at a parole hearing on Friday where it will be decided if he will be released from prison.

The South African Paralympian, now 36, was jailed for 13 years and five months for shooting his then-girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a 29-year-old law student and model.

On Friday, the parole board at Atteridgeville prison in the capital, Pretoria, is expected to decide whether to release the killer after serving half his sentence.

Pistorius shot his girlfriend, of two months, four times, through a locked bathroom door, claiming he mistook her for a burglar at his Pretoria, South Africa, home.

June Steenkamp will attend a hearing on Friday to describe the effect of losing their only child.

South African Paralympian Pistorius cries in the court room (AFP/Getty Images)

“As part of her victim impact statement, June will tell the parole board what impact the events have had on their lives,” Tania Koen, the couple’s lawyer said.

Pistorius had not met June and Barry Steenkamp, the parents of Reeva, before he murdered her and the couple have since publicly objected to him being freed.

Social workers have already inspected the property where he will serve the remainder of his sentence if parole is granted.

June Steenkamp, mother of late Reeva Steenkamp (AFP/Getty Images)

The Steenkamps have previously said that Pistorius could not be judged to have demonstrated remorse for his actions — a condition of parole — unless he admits that he deliberately shot their daughter.

Mr Steenkamp told the MailOnline: "I told Oscar directly that he had shot my daughter deliberately and he denied it. He stuck to his story that he thought it was an intruder.

"After all these years we are still waiting for him to admit he did it in anger. That is all we wanted.

Reeva in Johannesburg, South Africa (Getty Images)
Reeva seen during the Feather Awards in 2012 (AFP/Getty Images)

"If he told me the truth, he would have been a free man by now and I would have let the law take its course over his parole. But I was wasting my time. He is a murderer. He should remain in jail."

Pistorius was revealed to have been a gun fanatic who once fired a gun in a restaurant and had 10 weapons, including an AK-47.

Pistorius' uncle, Arnold Pistorius — who raised the murderer, his sister and his brother from their teenage years, after the death of their mother — told Netwerk24 that the former athlete has had job offers ahead of his potential release.

Reeva's parents June and Barry (AFP/Getty Images)

Terms of parole are likely to include Pistorius being fitted with a security tag and a ban on him travelling beyond Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria, or making money from media interviews about his crime or incarceration.

June believes her daughter was shot dead deliberately because the day before her death, Reeva tried to end the relationship.

June said Pistorius then attacked Reeva as she was trying to leave the flat and shot her dead as she took refuge in his toilet.

For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk

If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.