Jailed Paralympian, Oscar Pistorius meets victim’s father in bid for freedom after he shot her dead in 2013

South African double-amputee former track star, Oscar Pistorius, has met with the father of Reeva Steenkamp, the woman he shot to death in 2013, as part of his parole process, Steenkamp’s family lawyer said on Friday, June 1.

Lawyer Tania Koen said in a text message that Pistorius and Barry Steenkamp met face-to-face on June 22 for a victim-offender dialogue.

The dialogue gives victims of crimes or their relatives a chance to meet with the offenders if they choose to before the offender can be eligible for parole

If Barry is satisfied with the outcome of the talks and believes his daughter’s killer has truly repented, he could give the green light for his release.

Koen confirmed the meeting but declined to give any more details. She wrote in her message: ‘The dialogue is a private and confidential matter, hence we ask that our clients’ privacy be respected.’

Pistorius, once a double-amputee track star who made history by running at the Olympics, became eligible for parole last year, eight years after killing his girlfriend in his home in the South African capital, Pretoria.

Pistorius, who is now 35, was ultimately convicted of murder in 2015 after a long and dramatic trial and numerous appeals. He was sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison.

He has served most of his sentence at a prison in Pretoria but was moved to a facility in the southern city of Gqeberha, the Steenkamps’ home town, ahead of the meeting with Barry Steenkamp.

In South Africa, those convicted of a serious crime must serve at least half their sentence before they are eligible for parole.