(*10*)
Former South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, convicted in 2016 of the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, will address the commission on Friday on
Steenkamp’s family opposes his offer and can make oral and written statements on the hearing in regards to the impact the murder has had on them, their lawyer Tania Koen told Reuters.
“June is looking forward to it, but she’s doing it for Reeva,” Koen said on Thursday, referring to Reeva’s mother, June Steenkamp.
Pistorius, who spent nearly seven years behind bars, was eligible for parole after serving half of his 13-year sentence.
He met Reeva Steenkamp’s father last yr by participating in a process often known as victim-offender dialogue – a part of South Africa’s Restorative Justice Program which brings together parties affected by crime to realize closure.
![Former South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, convicted in 2016 of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/Reeva-Steenkamp-3.jpg?w=1024)
The closed-door parole board hearing is scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m. local time at Atteridgeville Prison near the capital, Pretoria.
Amongst other things, the independent parole board must determine whether Pistorius is prone to committing similar crimes in the longer term, Singabakho prison spokesman Nxumalo said.
They may also bear in mind his disciplinary history, prison training programs and his physical and mental condition, prison officials said.
![The closed-door meeting took place at the Atteridgeville prison near the capital Pretoria.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/2023-03-31T085637Z_1698043430_RC2W40AA20A2_RTRMADP_3_SAFRICA-PISTORIUS.jpg?w=1024)
Pistorius’ lawyer, Julian Knight, told Reuters he “cannot comment on the case until the parole board makes a decision.”
The athlete, often known as the “Blade Runner” for his carbon fiber prosthetic legs, went from public hero to convicted murderer in a trial that garnered worldwide attention.
Once a darling of the Paralympic movement for greater recognition and acceptance of disabled athletes, Pistorius shot and killed Steenkamp, a model and law student, in his bathroom on Valentine’s Day 2013.
![Athlete, so-called](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/Oscar-Pistorius-2.jpg?w=1024)
Gun enthusiast Pistorius told the court that he considered Steenkamp an intruder when he shot her several times with ammunition designed to inflict as much damage as possible on the human body.
He was sentenced in 2016, initially to 6 years, but after an appeal by prosecutors who argued that the initial sentence was too lenient, the sentence was increased to 13 years.