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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Anait Miridzhanian & Alexander Winning & Danya Bazaraa

Oscar Pistorius meets face-to-face with Reeva Steenkamp's dad 9 years after murder

Oscar Pistorius has met with the father of his late girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp who he murdered in 2013.

A lawyer for the Steenkamp family confirmed on Friday that the former South Africa paralympic superstar, jailed in 2016 for the murder, last week met her father.

The lawyer, Tania Koen, said Pistorius took part in a process known as victim-offender dialogue.

It is an integral part of South Africa's restorative justice programme that brings parties affected by a crime together in a bid to achieve closure.

"(I can) confirm Barry Steenkamp and Oscar Pistorius participated in a victim-offender dialogue on 22 June 2022," Koen said in a statement.

She said she would make no further comment due to her clients' privacy.

Six-time Paralympic gold medallist Oscar Pistorius (PA)
Reeva Steenkamp and Oscar Pistorius (BBC/VeryMuchSo Productions/Getty/Alex Pilakoutas)

The department of correctional services said earlier that Pistorius was transferred back to Atteridgeville prison near the capital Pretoria, from St Albans Correctional Centre in the Eastern Cape near where Steenkamp's parents live.

He had been moved closer to her family late last year.

Pistorius, known as "Blade Runner" for his carbon-fibre prosthetic legs, went from public hero to convicted murderer in a trial that drew worldwide interest.

Oscar Pistorius has met with the father of his late girlfriend (REUTERS)
Barry Steenkamp is the father of Reeva Steenkamp (X80003)

He becomes eligible for parole after serving half of his 13-year sentence.

Singabakho Nxumalo, a spokesman for the department of correctional services, said in a statement Pistorius will continue serving his sentence as participating in the victim-offender dialogue does not equate to an end of sentence nor parole.

Reeva Steenkamp's parents June and Barry Steenkamp (AFP/Getty Images)

Gold medalist Pistorius, once the darling of the Paralympic movement for pushing for greater recognition and acceptance of disabled athletes, shot dead Steenkamp, a model and law student, in his bathroom in 2013.

Pistorius said he had believed she was an intruder but was jailed in 2016, initially for a six-year term.

After an appeal by prosecutors who said this was too lenient, the term was increased to 13 years.

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