'I don't believe Pistorius's version' - June Steenkamp

Steenkamp wrote a victim impact statement which was read out by the family spokesperson Rob Matthews outside the Atteridgeville Correctional Facility on Friday morning.

That is where the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board started their meeting on Friday morning to consider Pistorius's appeal to be released on parole from prison.

The 37-year-old murdered Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine's Day 2013, firing four times through the bathroom door of his house in ‘n security state in the east of Pretoria.

He was dating Steenkamp at the time of the killing.

Pistorius pleaded not guilty and denied killing Steenkamp in a rage, saying he mistook her for a burglar.

In the victim impact statement, June Steenkamp says she doesn't believe this to be true.

"I do not believe Oscar's version, that he thought the person in the toilet was a burglar - in fact, I do not know anybody else who does.

“My dearest child screamed for her life, loud enough for the neighbors to hear her.

“I do not know what gave rise to his choice to shoot through the closed door, four times at somebody, with hallow point ammunition when I believe he knew it was Reeva.

“I do know that messages sent by Reeva highlighted huge anger issues," reads her statement.

The messages were read out in court during the trial.

In one message, Reeva wrote "I am scared of you sometimes, and how you snap at me and how you react to me. I am the girl who fell in love with you, but I am also the girl who gets snapped at and told my accents are annoying.

“I was not flirting with anybody today, I feel sick that you would suggest it," wrote Reeva at the time.

June Steenkamp said she was concerned for the safety of women if Oscar's behavior had not changed.

"I am concerned for the safety of any woman should this not have been addressed during rehabilitation. I don't know which rehabilitation he attended, but I sincerely hope that his rehabilitation included psychotherapy to deal with his temper and abusive behavior towards woman," she wrote

She added " At this time, I am not convinced that Oscar has been rehabilitated. Rehabilitation requires someone to engage honestly with the full truth of his crime and the consequences. If someone doesn't show remorse, they can’t be considered to be rehabilitated."

After the hearing, the board is to review the ex-athlete’s profile and decide whether he "is suitable or not for social reintegration".

It will be Pistorius' second attempt at parole in less than eight months.

He lost a first bid in March 2023 when the board found he had not completed the minimum detention period required to be let out.

The Constitutional Court last month ruled that was a mistake, paving the way for a new hearing.

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