The family of Reeva Steenkamp is not surprised by the early release of the man who shot their daughter, and will continue to focus on charity work.
Oscar Pistorius, the paralympian who was convicted of culpable homicide last year for shooting Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day, 2013, was just released from a South African prison on Monday.
South African law allows for those serving prison sentences to be released to house arrest once one-sixth of their term has been served.
Pistorius was sentenced to five years last October.
But according to the family of Reeva Steenkamp, this doesn’t really change anything.
“Nothing has changed for June and Barry, nothing will bring Reeva back,” said family spokesperson Tania Koen. “They are not surprised at all by this announcement. They expected this.”
According to the family, “they are focusing all their energy on the the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation to continue with the good work she would have done had seen been still alive.”
Oscar Pistorius required to meet with Reeva Steenkamp's family as part of probation http://t.co/S6XV59hPxX pic.twitter.com/agV3MzBiqE
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) October 19, 2015
Reeva’s mother June Steenkamp established the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation in March, with the focus of assisting abused women and children.
“My daughter died, horrendously,” she said at the time.”I don’t want to forget Reeva and what she stood for.
Reeva Steenkamp was a model. She also studied law at the University of Port Elizabeth. She was working on becoming bar-certified when she was killed.
Pistorius claimed that her shooting was an accident – that he thought she was an intruder. He was found not guilty of homicide, but was found to be negligent in her death.
As part of his early release to serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest, Pistorius will be required to meet with Steenkamp’s parents “if and when they agree to meet him.”