CNN —
Prison authorities have announced that Oscar Pistorius will be released on parole in January, drawing criticism from Reeva Steenkamp’s mother, who expressed doubt about the South African athlete’s rehabilitation following her daughter’s murder almost 11 years ago.
Pistorius shot Steenkamp four times through the bathroom door of his house in 2013, denying that he killed her in a fit of anger and claiming he had mistaken her for an intruder. He was initially sentenced to 13 years and five months imprisonment.
June Steenkamp expressed concern for the safety of other women once Pistorius is released on parole.
In a victim impact statement, she mentioned the “massive hole” left by her daughter’s death that cannot be filled.
Her statement was also read outside a South African parole board meeting by a family representative.
While she had forgiven Pistorius, she does not believe his version of events, as stated in her impact statement.
“At this time, I am not convinced that Oscar has been rehabilitated,” her statement said.
“Rehabilitation requires someone to engage honestly with the full truth of his crime and the consequences thereof. Nobody can claim to have remorse if they are not able to engage fully with the truth.”
“If someone does not show remorse, they cannot be considered to be rehabilitated. If they are not rehabilitated, their risk of recidivism is high.”
June Steenkamp, unable to face Pistorius again, did not attend Friday’s parole board hearing.
Additionally, she raised concerns about his violent and aggressive behavior pattern.
“I do not know to what extent this behavior still exists or were evident during his time of incarceration, but I am concerned for the safety of any woman should this not have been addressed in his rehabilitation.”
Oscar Pistorius, known as the “Blade Runner” for his carbon-fiber prosthetic legs, became a center of controversy during his trial, especially after competing in the 2012 Olympics.
Throughout the trial, Pistorius pleaded not guilty to one charge of murder and a firearms charge associated with Steenkamp’s killing.
Prosecutors argued her killing was deliberate and that the shooting happened after the couple had an argument.
Pistorius frequently broke down in court and his past behavior was closely scrutinized.
He was initially convicted of manslaughter in 2014 and sentenced to five years, but his conviction was later overturned and changed to murder, leading to an increased sentence of six years in prison.
Prosecutors appealed the ruling, resulting in his sentence being increased to 13 years and five months by South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal in 2017.
Nimi Princewill and Niamh Kennedy contributed to this report.
This story was updated.
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