Reeva Steenkamp’s mother says she is “not convinced” Oscar Pistorius has been rehabilitated after news broke this week that her daughter’s killer will be released from prison on parole in January 2024.
On Friday, June Steenkamp opened a victim impact statement obtained by PEOPLE and urged parole boards to take action toward a fair assessment of inmate rehabilitation by determining whether the inmate truly feels remorse.
“I’m not convinced at this point that Oscar has been rehabilitated,” June said of the former Paralympic gold medalist who was sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison by a South African court in 2016 for Reeve’s murder.
“Rehabilitation requires someone to honestly deal with the full truth about their crime and its consequences,” she continued. “No one can claim to have remorse if they are unable to fully face the truth. If someone does not show remorse, he cannot be considered rehabilitated.”
On Valentine’s Day 2013, Pistorius fatally shot his girlfriend Reeva multiple times through a closed bathroom door. The double amputee — who earned the nickname “Blade Runner” and made history in 2012 as the first Paralympian to compete in the Olympics — shot the law graduate and model at his home in Pretoria, South Africa, authorities said.
The trial of Oscar Pistorius: the testimony tries to portray the dark side of Blade Runner
Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp.
During the trial, Pistorius admitted to shooting Reeva four times, but claimed he mistook her for an intruder. He pleaded not guilty. However, prosecutors argued that he deliberately killed Reeva in a fit of rage.
Pistorius, now 37, has been behind bars since 2013. According to South Africa’s Department of Corrections, the parole board has set his release date for January 5, 2024.
“I forgave Oscar a long time ago, because I knew almost immediately that I wouldn’t be able to survive if I had to hold on to my anger,” June said in a statement. “I don’t believe Oscar’s version that he thought the person in the toilet was a burglar. In fact, I don’t know anyone who does. My dearest child was screaming for his life; loud enough for the neighbors to hear her.”
IN statement shared on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Friday, the Department of Prison Services said that Pistorius will be monitored by authorities until his sentence expires.
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June did not attend Friday’s hearing according to the statement and said: “I just can’t muster the energy to face him again at this stage.” She did not oppose Pistorius’ early release, but questioned whether he had really dealt with his “major anger issues” while in prison.
She added that she would potentially be “concerned for the safety of any woman” who comes into contact with him.
“I don’t know what rehab programs Oscar attended while in prison, but I sincerely hope his rehab included psychotherapy to deal with his temper and violent behavior toward women,” June said. “I also hope that specialist criminologists are engaged to help put together a psychological profile to help determine his risk of recidivism.”
The mother went on to say that her husband Barry, who was also Reeva’s father, died in September 2023 after suffering a stroke, which she described as an “extra blow” to her family.
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Oscar Pistorius on trial.
ALON SKUY/AFP via Getty
Oscar Pistorius is due to be released from prison in January, almost 11 years after he was convicted of murder
“I have no doubt that Barry died of a broken heart,” June said. “No parent should bury a child, and certainly not in the circumstances that prevailed after Reeva’s death.”
She added: “I really miss my partner and confidant. The fact that he’s reunited with Reev offers some respite, but it doesn’t alleviate the terrible sense of loss I have to come to terms with.”
Despite the loss of her daughter and husband, June expressed gratitude for being a mother to Reevi, whose “name and death continue to raise awareness of gender-based violence around the world.”
“Are our dreams about Reeva fulfilled? Of course not,” she said. “We realized that we were blessed because our daughter left us memories that we can only be proud of. The huge hole left in our future can never be filled by anyone else.”
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Source: HIS Education