Reeva Steenkamp’s parents say they are “still grieving” for their daughter, 10 years after she was shot and killed by her boyfriend, former South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius.
The ex-sprinter is eligible for parole in March, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reports.
“People who have lost children, it takes a long time for you to settle down and to get to know that they’re not going to be around anymore,” June Steenkamp said during an interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Valentine’s Day.
“We just love her so much and miss her. Part of our life is gone. We will see her one day, but that’s what we look forward to.”
Pistorius shot Steenkamp – a model and law school graduate – at his home in an upscale Pretoria neighborhood in the early hours of February 14, 2013.
He said the killing was an accident after he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder, but the prosecution called it a deliberate act after the two had an argument.
Pistorius was originally convicted of manslaughter in 2014 and sentenced to five years in prison.
A year later, a higher court overturned the conviction and changed it to murder, increasing his sentence to six years.
The prosecution appealed, claiming the sentence was too lenient and South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal increased his sentence to 13 years and five months in 2017.
But that sentence was amended last month because the judges apparently hadn’t accounted for time served, South Africa’s news24 reported.
The result: Pistorius will be eligible for parole next month when he completes half of his sentence, according to South African media.
To become eligible, he had to participate in the country’s “Restorative Justice” process, which gives offenders the opportunity to “acknowledge and take responsibility for their actions.”
Reeva’s father met with Pistorius in prison, telling GMB: “All June and I wanted to know was the truth, what we feel was the truth: that he actually killed her because of anger.”
But Barry Steenkamp says he didn’t get the answers he wanted from the conversation, adding that “only Oscar knows the true story.”
“If he’s due for parole, let the law take its course, so long as it’s all done legally … I’m not against the parole taking its course,” he said.
CNN has contacted legal representation for Pistorius for comment but has not received a response.
A spokesperson for South Africa’s Department of Correctional Services told CNN it would provide an update when there were developments to report.
Reeva’s mother launched the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation after her daughter was killed. It seeks to educate and empower victims of violence and abuse.
“After the court case, I just wanted to sit and cry and be upset,” said June Steenkamp. “But then I thought: ‘No, I must do something myself. I can’t sit and cry, rather do something.’”
