Ten years after Reeva Steenkamp’s death: Will Oscar Pistorius remain in prison?

Model Reeva Steenkamp (1983-2013) lost her life ten years ago. Oscar Pistorius (36) shot his partner on February 14, 2013. The athlete was sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison. Pistorius, who shot the 29-year-old four times through a closed door, could now be released within a few weeks if his parole application goes through. If it were up to Steenkamp’s family, the so-called “Blade Runner” because of his lower leg prostheses would probably never leave prison again.

“He should stay in prison”

The victim’s parents, Barry and June Steenkamp, ​​initially forgave the former top athlete for killing their daughter. When Oscar Pistorius refused to admit to the Steenkamp family that he shot Reeva on purpose during a prison meeting, the victim’s relatives vehemently oppose his early release. The ex-athlete stuck to his story that he thought it was a burglar he shot through the bathroom door. “After all these years, we’re still waiting for him to admit that he did it out of anger. That’s all we wanted,” the victim’s father is quoted as saying by the newspaper. “He should stay in prison,” he said.

According to the report, Barry Steenkamp explained that Pistorius collapsed and “cried like a child” as he read a letter from Reeva’s mother. She had not come to the meeting in prison. The meeting apparently took place last year as part of the South African victim-offender dialogue program.

When will Pistorius be released?

A court initially sentenced Pistorius to six years in prison in 2014. However, prosecutors appealed. In 2017, South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal finally set the sentence at 13 years and five months in prison. He could be paroled this year under South African law.