South African former job star Oscar Pistorius has met the father of Reeva Steenkamp, the woman he shot dead in 2013, as part of his parole, Steenkamp’s family lawyer said Friday.
Attorney Tania Koen said in a text message that Pistorius and Barry Steenkamp met face-to-face on June 22 as part of what is known in South Africa as a victim-offender dialogue.
It gives crime victims or their relatives the chance to meet the perpetrators, if they wish, before the perpetrator can be considered for parole.
If Barry is satisfied with the outcome of the talks and believes that his daughter’s killer is truly remorseful.
Koen confirmed the meeting, but declined to provide more details. She wrote in her message: “The dialogue is a private and confidential matter, so we ask that the privacy of our customers is respected.”
Pistorius, once a double-amputation track star who made history by competing in the Olympics, was eligible for parole last year, eight years after killing his girlfriend at his home in the South African capital, Pretoria.
Pistorius, who is now 35, was finally convicted of murder in 2015 after a long and dramatic trial and numerous appeals. He was sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison.
Pictured: June 15, 2016, Oscar Pistorius leaves the Supreme Court in Pretoria, South Africa, after his sentencing trial. South African former track star Oscar Pistorius has met the father of Reeva Steenkamp, the woman he shot dead in 2013, as part of his parole procedure.
Pictured: Barry Steenkamp, father of Reeva Steenkamp, leaves the Supreme Court in Pretoria, South Africa, June 14, 2016, after Oscar Pistorius’ conviction trial
Pistorius (right), a world-renowned double amputee athlete who competed in the 2012 Olympics, has been eligible for parole since July after serving multiple jail terms on Valentine’s Day for shooting model Reva Steenkamp (left) by a toilet door in his house. Day 2013
He served most of his sentence in a prison in Pretoria, but was transferred to an institution in the southern town of Gqeberha, the birthplace of the Steenkamps, before meeting Barry Steenkamp.
A conditional hearing for Pistorius was scheduled last year, but it fell through because he had not yet met Steenkamp’s parents.
In South Africa, persons convicted of a serious crime must serve at least half their sentence before being eligible for parole.
Pistorius met and spoke with Reeva’s father, Barry Steenkamp (pictured), as part of his parole proceeding
Reeva Steenkamp’s parents, June Steenkamp and Barry Steenkamp, react after Paralympic gold medal winner Oscar Pistorius was convicted in a South African court for the murder of their daughter.
Pistorius had spent some time in prison after initially being convicted of manslaughter — a charge akin to manslaughter — before an appeal from prosecutors overturned it and convicted him of murder.
Pistorius has yet to attend a parole hearing, where Correction Department officials will decide whether he should be released early.
Pistorius, who was born with a congenital condition that caused both his legs to be amputated below the knee when he was a baby, became a multiple Paralympic sprint champion on carbon fiber blades and even qualified to compete against the world’s best able-bodied athletes at the Olympic Games of 2012 in London
Pistorius’ lawyer Julian Knight said last year that he had been “a model inmate” and met parole requirements.
Last year, the Steenkamps spoke of their fears when Pistorius wrote them a letter after being considered for parole.
“June and I were stunned,” Barry said at the time.
Pistorius was born with a congenital condition that caused both of his legs to be amputated below the knee when he was a baby.
He became a multiple Paralympic sprint champion on carbon fiber blades and even qualified to compete against the world’s best able-bodied athletes at the 2012 London Olympics.
But his image as one of the sport’s most inspirational figures was shattered when he shot 29-year-old Steenkamp multiple times through a restroom door in his home in the early hours of Valentine’s Day 2013.
He claimed he mistook her for a dangerous intruder, but was convicted of a charge akin to second-degree murder for acting so recklessly by firing his 9mm pistol through the toilet door.