Oscar freedom shock

Published Jun 9, 2015

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Pretoria - “We have forgiven Mr Pistorius, even though he took the life of our precious daughter Reeva. Our lives will never be the same as we live with the sadness of her death every day.”

This was the reaction of Reeva’s parents, June and Barry Steenkamp, to the decision of the Department of Correctional Services to place Reeva’s killer, Oscar Pistorius, on probation on August 21.

While the family did not wish Pistorius to suffer further, they are shocked at his early release. They fear that it might send out the wrong message if people are released from jail after serving such a short stint behind bars for a serious offence.

On August 21, Pistorius will be able to swop his small prison cell for life outside. But he will have to adhere to strict correctional supervision provisions. These will remain in place for the next four years and two months, the remainder of his five-year jail sentence for culpable homicide.

The department confirmed on Monday that it approved on Friday Pistorius’s placement on correctional supervision with effect from August 21.

It, however, remained mum on what the conditions will be.

But advocate Christiaan Sevenster, an expert on correctional services matters, said house arrest would without doubt form part of these provisions.

Sevenster said it was also possible that Oscar may return to his prison cell if the Appeal Court in Bloemfontein in November upheld the appeal by the State against his culpable homicide conviction.

“If the court agreed that he should have been convicted of murder, and upped his sentence, he will have to return to prison,” Sevenster said.

While a registrar at the appeal court confirmed that the appeal will be heard in November, no date has yet been set. The appeal court will also not immediately deliver its judgment but, as in almost all of its cases, is expected to reserve judgment.

In a letter to the department regarding Oscar’s placement on correctional supervision, the Steenkamps said: “…Reeva had so much to offer this world and we were all robbed of her life when she was killed. As her family we do not seek to avenge her death and we do not want Mr Pistorius to suffer. That will not bring her back to us. However, a person found guilty of a crime must be held accountable for their actions.

“Statistics show that our society is under continuous attack from criminals and murderers. Incarceration of 10 months for taking a life is simply not enough. We fear it will not send out the proper message and serve as a deterrent…”

The Steenkamps’ lawyer, Tania Koen, told the Pretoria News that the couple would not speak to the media, as June has just been discharged from hospital following a serious operation. She didn’t comment on the nature of the operation.

“That is why they sent a letter to the department and did not attend the meeting themselves. June is very fragile and they are both shocked that Oscar will be released so soon. They, however, do not want revenge and they want to move on with their lives. They will abide with what is going to happen, as they don’t really have a choice.

“It is really not going very well with both June and Barry and things like this (news of his release) just opened up old wounds,” Koen said.

Oscar’s uncle, Arnold Pistorius, politely declined to comment when the Pretoria News phoned him while he was in a meeting. “It is not that I don’t want to talk, but we want it to be done through our spokesperson, in a disciplined manner as we have done over the past two years,” he said.

Spokeswoman Annelise Burges couldn’t be reached for comment.

Oscar was sentenced on October 21 last year for the Valentine’s Day 2013 killing of his model girlfriend, whom he said he mistook for an intruder. He fired four shots through a closed bathroom door at his Silverwoods Estate, east of Pretoria, killing Reeva.

Pretoria News

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