Following the 5 years jail term imposed on Oscar Pistorious, 27, over the alleged murder of his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, 29, her parents have said they do "not feel that justice has been done" but insisted they "have to accept" the sentence imposed by the judge.
Pistorious, known as the Blade Runner, was yesterday sentenced to 5 years in prison by Judge Thokozile Masipa but could be out of prison in just 10 months.
The statement has been globally criticized by many who think it to be too lenient and has sparked calls for it to be increased.
Miss Steenkamp's parents told ITV's Good Morning Britain they accepted the sentence and "don't want revenge" or for the double-amputee to "suffer with his disabilities" while prison.
But they said their daughter's death in the early hours of Valentine's Day last year remained shrouded in mystery, adding that 'only Oscar knows' the truth.
Miss Steenkamp's mother June told the programme:
"I think the law must take its course, we have to accept what has happened.
"If there is an appeal, well, there is an appeal. There is nothing we can change about that. But it will be difficult to go on even further, again.
"We may not feel that justice has been done, but we have just got to accept what the judge decided.
"That's the law, although it could have been completely different if her decision was different.
"Not everyone is entirely happy. But ... the facts that she had before her maybe weren't enough. But we have to live."
 |
| Killer: Pistorius, 27, known as the Blade Runner, sits in the dock after he handed a five-year prison term at Pretoria High Court for shooting Miss Steenkamp dead on Valentine's Day last year (Photo: AFP / Getty Images) |
Mrs Steenkamp said the family had been "disappointed in her (the judge's) judgment", but felt the judge was left with few options because "she only had certain facts before her".
Mrs Steenkamp said the family are "very settled with the sentence".
She added:
"He has got to pay for what he has done and it is not that we want vengeance or anything, or for him to suffer with his disabilities."
"But at the same time, we feel satisfied that he will realise that you can't go around doing things like that.
"We don't want revenge, we want a fair punishment under the circumstances of his disability.
"We wouldn't have wanted him to go to jail and be abused and I feel that it is fair.
"He will realise that he can't go around doing that. He can't kill somebody like that."
 |
| Life cut short: Beautiful Reeva Steenkamp in her university days (Photo: Kerry Smith / Barcroft USA) |
Her husband Barry said:
"We have gone along with the judge and her decision.
"Only Oscar knows whether that sentence is acceptable to him. I've got my feelings to the whole thing.
"But we do accept what the judge handed down."Culled from DailyMail.
0 comments: