The nonetheless heartbroken father of the slain South African mannequin Reeva Steenkamp, murdered by world-famous Paralympian Oscar Pistorius in 2013, has died.
Barry Steenkamp, 80, died in his sleep on Thursday, in keeping with a basis that had been set-up within the title of his slain daughter. Mr Steenkamp had been sick ever since struggling a stroke shortly after Reeva’s homicide. He had by no means forgiven his daughter’s killer.
‘It’s with heavy hearts that we announce the sudden and peaceable passing of Barry Steenkamp in his sleep,’ learn a social media put up from the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Basis.
‘Barry was a blessing to many, and he can be remembered with love and nice fondness. We discover solace within the information that he’s now along with his beloved Reeva,’ it continued.
Mr Steenkamp, who not too long ago celebrated what would have been his daughter’s 40th birthday with a cake topped with a black-and-white {photograph} of her, had not too long ago stated that he couldn’t forgive Mr Pistorius.
Barry Steenkamp, the heartbroken father of murdered mannequin Reeva Steenkamp, died peacefully on Thursday. He by no means forgave her assassin, Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius
The homicide of Reeva took a heavy toll on her dad and mom, June and Barry Steenkamp. Mr Steenkamp has been sick ever since struggling a stroke shortly after her demise
June and Barry Steenkamp not too long ago celebrated what would have been Reeva’s fortieth birthday with a cake topped with a black-and-white {photograph} of her
Reeva, then 29, was shot by means of a toilet door by the world-famous Paralympic champion at his house on Valentines Day in 2013. Pistorius, who had each his decrease legs amputated as a baby on account of congenital situation, was then an icon for sports activities’ followers on account of his a number of gold medal wins on carbon-fibre blades.
Reeva, a professional lawyer turned mannequin, had solely been courting Mr Pistorius for a short while earlier than she was murdered. Mr Pistorius has at all times maintained that he mistook her for an intruder.
In 2014, following a dramatic case that was adopted minute-by-minute globally, Mr Pistorius was discovered responsible of culpable murder and sentenced to 6 years in jail. The choice, extensively seen in South Africa as overly lenient, was criticised by girls’s’ rights teams. Mr Pistorius’ sentence was later elevated to 13 years, after prosecutors introduced the case to South Africa’s Supreme Courtroom of Attraction.
Ms Steenkamp, who was additionally a professional lawyer, was a profitable mannequin who modeled jewellery firm and was the face of Avon cosmetics in South Africa
Mr Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp had been courting solely a short while earlier than she was murdered on Valentines Day in 2013
Reeva Steenkamp on the Virgin Energetic sports activities trade awards in 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa
The Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Basis was set as much as honour Reeva’s reminiscence and to battle towards violence towards girls.
Mr Steenkamp, a former horse coach and pub proprietor, was too weak to attend a parole listening to in Pretoria in August 2022. He as a substitute had an announcement learn out on his behalf that was described as ‘extraordinarily emotional’ and ‘to the core.’
Within the heart-wrenching letter, it was revealed that he was nonetheless unable to sleep at night time or discover closure, a decade after Reeva’s homicide. He stated that he had one dying want which was for Mr Pistorius to say ‘precisely what occurred on that night time’.
Mr Steenkamp and his spouse June, who was born in Blackburn, have persistently stated that they believed Mr Pistorius murdered their daughter in anger.
In February, Mr Steenkamp revealed the main points of a surprising behind-bars confrontation with Mr Pistorius that had been organized as a part of South Africa’s legal rehabilitation programme.
The South African athlete, nicknamed Blade Runner due to his racing prosthetics, had been a widely-celebrated Paralympian previous to the killing
Mr Pistorius, who not too long ago had a parole utility denied, is at present being held at Atteridgeville Correctional Centre on the outskirts of Pretoria
Mr Steenkamp stated that he was unable to offer Mr Pistorius any forgiveness, and that his daughter’s killer had ‘wailed like a baby’ as he learn an emotional letter from Reeva’s mom.
‘I instructed Oscar immediately that he had shot my daughter intentionally and he denied it. He caught to his story that he thought it was an intruder,’ Mr Steenkamp stated on the time.
‘In any case these years,’ Mr Steenkamp continued. ‘We’re nonetheless ready for him to confess he did it in anger. That’s all we needed. If he instructed me the reality, he would have been a free man by now and I might have let the legislation take its course over his parole.’
‘However I used to be losing my time. He’s a assassin. He ought to stay in jail.’
Mr Pistorius had on the time been searching for parole, a request which was denied. South African authorities stated that they might take into account Mr Pistorius’ purposes for patrol once more in August 2024.
Final month, in a dramatic improvement within the Pistorius case, it was reported that Mr Pistorius had approached South Africa’s Constitutional Courtroom to think about his eligibility for early launch.
Timeline of occasions within the Oscar Pistorius homicide case
February 14, 2013: Police arrest the Olympic and Paralympic sprinter for killing Reeva Steenkamp, a 29-year-old mannequin, who was shot 4 occasions at his Pretoria house.
February 15: Pistorius bursts into tears as he’s charged, denying homicide ‘within the strongest phrases’.
February 19: Pistorius claims in an affidavit that he mistook Ms Steenkamp for an intruder. He stated he fired by means of a locked rest room door, in what prosecutors time period ‘premeditated’ homicide.
February 21: International sportswear producer Nike suspends its sponsorship contract with the athlete.
February 22: Pistorius is granted bail.
On Valentine’s Day 2023 Pistorius fired 4 pictures by means of the door of a locked rest room at his house in Pretoria, above. Ms Steenkamp was on the opposite aspect
The trial begins
March 3, 2014: The trial opens in Pretoria earlier than crowds of journalists from around the globe, with the testimony of a neighbour who tells the court docket she heard ‘horrible screams’ from a lady. Ten days later, Pistorius vomits when an image of Ms Steenkamp’s physique is flashed on the court docket’s tv screens.
April 7-15: Pistorius takes the stand and begins with a tearful apology to Ms Steenkamp’s household. That is adopted by 5 days of usually intense cross-examination, marked by bouts of tears and breaks within the session. Pistorius steadfastly denies any intention to kill Ms Steenkamp.
June 30: After a six-week break, a panel of three psychiatrists and a psychologist conclude that Pistorius doesn’t have a psychological sickness.
September 12: Decide Thokozile Masipa finds Pistorius responsible of culpable murder or manslaughter.
October 21: The choose sentences him to a most of 5 years in jail. He’s taken to Pretoria jail.
Beneath home arrest
October 20, 2015: Pistorius is allowed out of jail after only one 12 months to spend the rest of his sentence below home arrest.
December 3: The Supreme Courtroom of Attraction convicts him of homicide, saying his testimony was ‘vacillating and untruthful’.
December 8: Pistorius is launched on bail pending sentencing, and stays below home arrest.
Pistorius was discovered responsible of homicide and given a 13-year jail sentence in 2017 after a prolonged trial
‘Shockingly lenient’ sentence
March 2, 2016: Pistorius, now 29, loses his ultimate bid to enchantment his homicide conviction.
July 6: He’s sentenced to 6 years in jail for homicide.
August 14: South African media stories say Pistorius is placed on 24-hour suicide watch.
September 15: Prosecutors say they are going to petition the Supreme Courtroom of Attraction for a more durable sentence for Pistorius, having described the six-year time period as ‘shockingly lenient’.
November 14: Jail authorities say Pistorius has been transferred to a jail tailored for disabled inmates simply exterior Pretoria to serve the remainder of his sentence.
Oscar Pistorius holds his head in his palms throughout his homicide listening to at North Gauteng Excessive Courtroom in Pretoria, South Africa, on March 13, 2014
Jail time period prolonged
November 3, 2017: The enchantment court docket adjourns to think about its ruling after prosecutors argue that Pistorius’s jail time period is just too quick, whereas defence attorneys say the choose handed down a good sentence.
November 24: The Supreme Courtroom of Attraction in Bloemfontein greater than doubles Pistorius’s sentence of six years to 13 years and 5 months.
Parole course of
March 28, 2018: South Africa’s highest court docket rejects Pistorius’s go away to enchantment, ending the lengthy authorized battle over the killing.
November 29, 2021: Jail companies say Pistorius has been briefly moved to a detention facility within the southern metropolis of Gqeberha, previously Port Elizabeth, as a part of his parole course of, having turn into eligible for early launch a number of months earlier, after serving half his sentence.
July 1, 2022: Jail companies say Pistorius has met Ms Steenkamp’s dad and mom as a part of his rehabilitation course of.
March 31, 2023: A parole board known as to determine on whether or not the 36-year-old former athlete ought to be launched early. He’s denied an early launch and can solely be eligible to use once more in August 2024.
