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As Oscar Pistorius is released after murdering Reeva Steenkamp, we speak to Tania Koen, the family’s close friend
AT AROUND 2.30AM every night, June Steenkamp wakes in distress. It was around that time on Valentine’s Day in 2013 that her daughter Reeva was murdered by her boyfriend Oscar Pistorius. In the middle of the night, she can’t help but replay the final moments of Reeva’s life before she was shot dead by the Paralympic gold medalist.
June’s husband and Reeva’s father, Barry, would wake at the same time every night too, until he died last September – from what June says was a broken heart. ‘The early hours have always been really traumatic for them,’ says Tania Koen, June’s closest friend and the Steenkamps’ attorney for the last 10 years. Barry agonised over the fact he wasn’t there to protect Reeva, she says. ‘June and Barry would sit and talk for hours about Reeva. So June has lost her partner and confidante.’
Now, Pistorius, 37, has been released on parole from a South African jail after serving half of his 13-year sentence. It comes with conditions, including that he completes anger management and gender-based violence programmes, and he will be monitored until the end of his sentence in 2029. It’s thought he’s gone to live at his uncle’s home.
For many, it still feels shockingly soon, coming 11 years after he fired multiple shots through a locked bathroom door in their home in Pretoria, killing Reeva when she was just 29 and leading to one of the most high-profile trials of the decade. Charity Women for Change has said that his release sends ‘the wrong message’ to potential offenders.
He was initially sentenced to five years for culpable homicide in 2014 – a term that was widely criticised for being more lenient than many expected. Then in 2016 it was changed to murder. Taking into account the number of years already spent in prison he is now able to spend the rest of his sentence out on parole.
‘June and Barry always said that they accept that the law must take its course and that this is part of it,’ Tania says. ‘June doesn’t harbour any resentment or feel shocked that he’s being released on parole… because nothing’s going to bring Reeva back, nothing really matters,’ she says. In a statement, June said: ‘We, who remain behind, are the ones serving a life sentence.’
In fact, June’s focus has never been on Pistorius, but on her memories of Reeva, who was a law graduate, model and campaigner committed to raising awareness about issues close to her heart and empowering women and girls.
‘Reeva laughed at herself, she laughed with her parents,’ says Tania. ‘She had guts and perseverance. June always says that Reeva was a gift
