June Steenkamp has forgiven the athlete, she tells TV interviewer following supreme court of appeal’s ruling
Reeva Steenkamp’s mother June has called the murder verdict handed to Oscar Pistorius a sign of respect for her daughter and said she forgives him.
In her first comments since the appeal court ruling on Thursday, she said: “Now we’ve seen that the justice system works. It’s about respect for my daughter, how wonderful she was, how clever she was, all that was taken away from her.”.
Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day in 2013. Originally convicted of culpable homicide, the South African equivalent of manslaughter, the supreme court of appeal said the Paralympian was guilty of murder.
June Steenkamp was present as the court handed down its decision, as she has been throughout the long legal process. After the verdict, she was seen sobbing on the steps of the court house.
She was calm and composed in the interview with the state broadcaster SABC. “I see this as the truth. And the success is due to the justice system and God,” she said. “This is respect for my daughter and her life also, and respect for women all over this country, because we have too much of this happening and people get away with it.
“Life was taken. And the person who took the life must pay the price now. If you do the crime, you have to do the time. I’m not really interested in how much time, but I’m happy with the verdict. I feel better we have justice for her. She hasn’t been forgotten. She won’t be forgotten.”
Read more:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/04/oscar-pistorius-verdict-respect-reeva-june-steenkamp-interview-murder
